West Palm Beach Mother, 97, Suffocated to Death by Daughter and Caregiver Martha Jo Blake, Authorities Say

Daughter and Caregiver Martha Jo Blake

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A 66-year-old woman is facing a first-degree murder charge after authorities say she suffocated her 97-year-old mother at a retirement residence near Greenacres, initially claiming the elderly woman died of natural causes.

Martha Jo Blake was arrested following an autopsy that determined her mother, Patricia Blake, died as a result of homicide, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded shortly before 8 a.m. on December 26, the day after Christmas, to the Blakes’ home in the Cresthaven Ashley neighborhood, just north of the Greenacres city limits, to conduct a death investigation. Patricia Blake was found lying on her back inside the residence, covered with sheets.

Investigators said Martha Jo Blake, who had been her mother’s primary caregiver for about five years, told deputies that Patricia Blake suffered from Parkinson’s disease and a thyroid disorder and suggested her death was natural. She said she last saw her mother alive around 10 p.m. the night before.

Daughter and Caregiver Martha Jo Blake

Because Patricia Blake’s primary care physician was unavailable, the case was referred to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. The examination later revealed injuries inconsistent with a natural death, prompting investigators to reclassify the case as a homicide.

According to the arrest report, the medical examiner determined the elderly woman’s death was consistent with suffocation or strangulation. Detectives reviewing body camera footage from the scene also observed a visible mark on the side of Patricia Blake’s neck.

Following the autopsy results, deputies arrested Martha Jo Blake and charged her with first-degree murder.

During interviews with investigators, Blake reportedly stated that her mother had expressed a desire to die due to ongoing health problems. She also told deputies that she and her mother had previously discussed end-of-life options, including assisted-dying laws in other states. Florida does not allow medical aid in dying, and authorities said those laws are not applicable in this case.

Blake made her first court appearance on December 27. Palm Beach County Judge Lourdes Casanova ordered her held without bail and granted the state’s request for a pretrial detention hearing, which could keep her jailed until trial.

A public defender was appointed to represent Blake. The Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office declined to comment on the case, citing policy regarding ongoing investigations.

The investigation remains ongoing.