West Des Moines Man Charged With Attempted Murder After Allegedly Stabbing Mother Over Speaker Dispute

Nathan Norrell, 21, is accused of stabbing his mother in West Des Moines after a dispute over a speaker, leaving her with severe neck and hand wounds.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 4, 2026, 11:14 AM EST

Source: Information for this report was sourced from PEOPLE

The Violent Escalation of a Domestic Dispute

A quiet evening in West Des Moines turned into a life threatening struggle on February 28 when a routine domestic disagreement allegedly turned into a brutal stabbing. According to reports from the West Des Moines Police Department, officers were dispatched to a residence on Center Street around 7:28 p.m. local time. Investigators determined that Nathan Norrell, 21, became enraged after his mother refused to let him use her speaker, which was located in the home's primary bathroom. The situation escalated rapidly from a verbal refusal to a physical ambush that left the victim fighting for her life.

An Ambush Inside the Family Home

Criminal complaints filed in Dallas County provide a chilling account of the premeditated nature of the attack. Documents indicate that after the initial argument, Norrell allegedly hid behind the door of the primary bathroom while armed with a large fixed-blade knife. When his mother eventually entered the room, he reportedly emerged from hiding to strike her. The victim sustained an intentional wound to her neck along with several defensive injuries to her hands as she attempted to ward off the blade. The mother later told investigators that she truly feared for her life and believed her son intended to kill her.

A Desperate Flight and Subsequent Arrest

Following the initial stabbing, the victim managed to retreat to the kitchen to tend to her bleeding wounds. Norrell allegedly followed her into the kitchen but fled the residence once his mother placed a call to emergency services. In a surprising turn, the suspect reportedly used a ride sharing service to travel to his grandfather’s house. It was from that secondary location that Norrell eventually surrendered to authorities. When questioned by detectives, the suspect claimed a lack of memory regarding the event, suggesting that a combination of alcohol consumption and various medications had caused him to black out.