Michael Brea, the bit actor who allegedly killed his mother with a 3-foot sword, thought she had been possessed by the devil, police say. Yannick Brea, 55, was found kneeling inside her New York apartment bathroom with multiple gashes to her head, as her son clutched a Bible and a Masonic ceremonial sword. Neighbors heard Michael shouting Bible verses and saying, "Sinner! Sinner!" and "You never accepted Jesus!" during the alleged attack, they tell the New York Daily News.
As he was carried out on a stretcher, Michael shouted "the greatest architect in the universe"—a Masonic term for God—a witness says. Residents are still accusing police of wasting time by standing outside the door for almost an hour and even leaving the scene, despite having permission to break down the door from the building's owner. "At one point, the mother opened the window and screamed, 'Help, he's going to kill me!'" says one neighbor. Police continue to insist correct protocol was followed for a "barricade situation."
(More Michael Brea stories.)