CARY — Maurice Derek McDuffie’s mother told police that her son dreamed that his family was trying to “control his mind” the night before he stabbed his uncle repeatedly at an apartment in Cary last week, according to a search warrant made public Monday.
When McDuffie, 21, awoke the following morning, he confronted his uncle, Rickey James White, and asked him why he was attempting to control his mind, before attacking him with a knife, according to the search warrant filed at the Wake County Clerk of Courts Office.
Emergency workers transported White to WakeMed in Raleigh, where he is in good condition after undergoing two surgeries to repair his wounds, Cary police Capt. Don Hamilton said Monday.
McDuffie was charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.
The stabbing occurred Thursday about 6:45 a.m. at 1128 Afton Meadow Lane near Ten-Ten Road. McDuffie’s mother, Elizabeth Ann McDuffie, called 911 to report that her son was attacking White, her brother, with a knife, according to the search warrant.
When police arrived they found McDuffie sitting in a chair in the living room with blood on his clothes and holding a knife, according to the warrant. Police found White in a bedroom with multiple stab wounds.
“I’m just glad he pulled through,” Hamilton said. “It’s a miracle he did.”
McDuffie had recently moved to Cary from Newark, N.J., and had landed a job at a mail courier service, his mother told police. Prior to moving here, he had voluntarily committed himself to a mental health facility in New Jersey for treatment of drug use, which included the hallucinogenic drug PCP, according to the warrant.
McDuffie’s stepfather told police that McDuffie has a YouTube page where he posted comments concerning mind control.
“[McDuffie] had admitted to his stepfather that he knew this sounded crazy,” J.A. Young with the Cary police stated in the search warrant.
Police searched the apartment and seized a laptop computer and hard drive, a mobile phone, McDuffie’s New Jersey driver’s license and a large envelope containing miscellaneous papers and writings, according to the warrant.
Police also took blood samples from McDuffie, court records show.
McDuffie remained in the Wake County jail Monday in lieu of $2 million bail, a jail spokesman said.
McDonald: 919-829-4533
