Cops: Mental Health Crisis Led To Fatal Birthday Stabbing

Things had changed in late summer for David R. Mathias III. The 59-year-old Falls Township man known for being peaceful and generous had suffered what police called a “rapid descent into a major mental health problem.”

The issues came to a head in a major way in the early morning hours of Monday, September 12 – Mathias’ birthday – inside his mobile at 6210 Foster Drive in Falls.

Police said Mathias arrived home around 4 a.m. and began to physically struggle with his just-awakened 45-year-old girlfriend of 10 years in the rear bedroom of his well-kept mobile home in the Pennwood Crossing community. The 59 year old pulled a knife and began attacking her. During the course of the struggle, Mathias’ girlfriend gained control of the steak knife he attacked her with.

Within a short period of time, Mathias was dead on the floor of the bedroom with a fatal knife wound to the neck, police said. The wound was inflicted by Mathias’ girlfriend as she fought to save her life.

Mathias’ girlfriend managed to make her way out of the mobile home and down the street, where neighbors called police around 4:25 a.m. A trail of her blood dotted Foster Drive and was documented by detectives after the homicide.

Police and county prosecutors said Saturday afternoon that they have ruled Mathias’ death a “justifiable homicide.” They said an examination of the evidence determined the woman was defending herself when she fatally stabbed Mathias.

“This was a very tragic case which, at its conclusion, determined that a very well-respected, peaceful and generous man suffered from a rapid descent into a major mental health problem very late in life which caused the fateful encounter with the victim,” police wrote in a statement.

In the weeks before the incident, Mathias’ parents worked with him to get him a mental health evaluation and treatment for his mental health issues, police said.

What caused Mathias to snap that early September morning was not released, but police said his violent outburst was sparked by a “mental health episode.”

Police said neither party was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the fatal incident.

While some neighbors told investigators they had heard some yelling from the mobile home in the past, there was not a history of domestic violence or mental health calls.

The 45 year old woman has had numerous surgery to repair injuries to her hands. In time, she is expected to fully recover after long term physical therapy, police said.