Army veteran accused of killing mom on Mother's Day

An Army veteran has been arrested and charged with homicide for the death of his mother after Santa Rosa County Sheriff deputies responded to a distress call and discovered a woman lying in a pool of blood on the front porch, covered in bruises and lacerations.

The victim's son, Christopher Reed Lynch, was taken into custody after a brief struggle and has been charged in the death of his mother, Cheryl Lynch.

Christopher suffered a severe traumatic brain injury on July 13, 2000, while on training exercises in France with the Army. Once Christopher returned home, Cheryl assumed the role of his caregiver.

In 2009 Cheryl wrote a letter to the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs, and stated: "I am a 54-year-old mother — if something were to happen to me, who will know enough about my son’s individual difficulties and medical needs to continue to manage his care? Who will be able to act in his best interest or defense to assure he receives his entitled benefits? Who would be able to put the proper supports in place for my son to not end up on the streets, institutionalized, or even worse?"
At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office responded to the distress call on the 4600 block of Evelyn Street in Pace, Florida.

As deputies approached the home, the police report states they could hear loud yelling and the sounds of a person or animal in distress. Outside the home, SRCSO deputies were immediately approached by an individual identified as Christopher Reed Lynch, a 38-year-old male, who was wielding an iron rod with a hook on one end of it.

According to the police report, Lynch was covered in blood and approached the officer on the scene while holding the iron rod, saying: "You want some?" After several ignored verbal commands from the officer to step back, Lynch struck the patrol car door with the iron rod. The officer deployed his taser and made positive contact with Lynch, causing him to temporarily drop the rod.

Lynch remained violent and the officer continued to deploy the taser until additional units arrived on scene.

Lynch was restrained by deputies using leg irons and handcuffs, after he repeatedly attempted to kick and punch officers, according to the SRCSO.

Once the deputies were able to access the scene, they found a woman lying on the front porch, Cheryl Lynch, who was later identified as Christopher Lynch's mother.

The police report said there was blood on the porch and that Cheryl Lynch had multiple lacerations on her face, her eyes were swollen shut and she was unable to fully speak.

According to the report, Cheryl Lynch was able to tell deputies that Christopher had been hitting her, but that she couldn't remember what happened.

Cheryl Lynch was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital's Trauma Center, where she later died from her injuries.

The suspect, Christopher Lynch, is in custody at the Santa Rosa County Jail with no bond and is facing felony charges for first-degree murder-open count, second-degree aggravated battery, third-degree battery, second-degree assault on an officer, and third-degree resisting an officer with violence