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Corpus Christi man accused of killing mother, being held on $900,000 bond

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Posted at 10:59 AM, Apr 20, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-20 13:25:16-04

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Corpus Christi man is behind bars accused of killing his mother.

James O'Donnell, 50, has been charged with murder. He's in the Nueces County Jail under bonds totaling $900,000.

O'Donnell was arrested over the weekend in Live Oak County.

Texas Department of Public Safety officials say O'Donnell's vehicle was parked near some brush along the side of a road near Lake Corpus Christi. A passerby thought the vehicle had crashed and called 911.

When officers arrived, they found O'Donnell and his mother's body in his car.

According to his arrest report, O'Donnell later confessed he killed his mother in her home on the 400 block of Ashland Drive near the Seaside Cemetery.

That same home was the scene of a fire earlier that day.

Capt. Mike Tressider with the Corpus Christi Fire Department confirmed the department is investigating how the fire started but can't release any information due to the nature of the crime.