Laguna Beach Man Accused Of Killing Mother Found Not Guilty

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — A Laguna Beach man charged with stabbing his mother to death in 2019 was found not guilty by reason of insanity on Monday.

Matthew Bryson McDonald, 37, is scheduled for a Nov. 4 hearing to determine his commitment term in a mental health facility, City News Service reported.

Police were called at about 10:45 a.m. Aug. 18, 2019, to the Laguna Terrace Park mobile home community in the 30000 block of South Coast Highway after a friend arrived to pick up 61-year-old friend to go to church and found her dead, according to a previous Patch report.

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Laguna Beach police said neighbors reported that they had seen McDonald back into a mailbox with his mother's car, then speed off that morning, which they found unusual because had not driven in several months. Police also said McDonald suffers from a mental disorder at the time of the investigation.

No further information was immediately available.

City News Service contributed to this report.