ITAWAMBA COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – A North Mississippi man has been charged with murder and arson in connection to the death of his mother.

Officials with the Mississippi State Fire Marshal’s Office said William Walden killed his mother and set her home on fire. He was charged with capital murder and first degree arson.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the fire that happened at a mobile home on Brown Road on July 14, 2023.

According to officials, Deputy Rusty McCoy and Deputy Supervisor Jonathan Owens searched the scene and interviewed Walden on two different occasions. They named him as an arson suspect.

On July 15, officials said Walden confessed that he had beaten his mother, Flora Walden, to death and then set her home on fire.

Walden’s bond was set at $250,000, and the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) placed a hold on him due to a previous felony conviction.