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Dalton Man Charged With Killing Mom With Machete

DALTON, Minn. (AP) -- A Dalton man who allegedly attacked his mother with a machete in April has now also been charged with first-degree murder.

Prosecutors allege 46-year-old James Francis Howard killed his mother, 68-year-old Barbara Howard, by striking her several times with a machete. She died two weeks later.

The Daily Journal of Fergus Falls reports Otter Tail County Attorney David Hauser filed amended charges on Monday after reviewing the autopsy report on Howard's death.

A grand jury must confirm the charge for it to proceed.

Hauser says he will present the case to grand jurors sometime after a mental competency hearing for James Howard, which has been ordered by not yet scheduled.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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