MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 48-year-old man is accused of killing his 66-year-old mother in their north Mississippi home.

According to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Bryan Lee Wells allegedly killed his mother, Katherine Tipler, by blunt force trauma to the head. Investigators believe the killing happened around noon last Friday.

“She died from blunt force trauma to the head with some type of sharp object. We believe that we have found that instrument inside the residence but we are waiting to do DNA testing and so forth to confirm that,” said Kelly McMillen, lead investigator with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department.

The two lived together at a home off Price Loop, off State Road 4 south of Holly Springs.

Authorities say after the woman was killed, Wells left the home. He was stopped and arrested for DUI, and went to jail.

When he got out of jail, they say he returned to the home, stole his mother’s debit card and car, and went somewhere in Memphis.

Tipler’s body was discovered by a relative on Saturday, the sheriff’s office said. 

Authorities put out an alert for the mother’s car, and Wells was found and arrested Saturday by Olive Branch Police at the overpass bridge at Highway 305 and 302.

Wells, who has a criminal record for a previous manslaughter conviction, allegedly admitted to the crime, Marshall County authorities said. A motive has not been released.

“At some point during our conversation with him, he did get upset about the crime he committed,” McMillen said.

McMillen commended multiple agencies working together to help solve a tragedy, saying, “We want to thank everybody from the ATF to the Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, Olive Branch, DeSoto County, all the surrounding counties for their assistance in helping us get this matter handled as quick as possible.”

The murder charge Wells is facing could be upgraded to capital murder.

This is the fourth homicide in Marshall County this year.