Son charged with killing father in Maryland home

FORT WASHINGTON, Md. - Prince George's County police believe a Fort Washington dad was murdered by his own son on Friday. 

Maryland family murder investigation

The backstory:

Christopher Wiley Cooper is accused of fatally assaulting his 59-year-old father, Patrick Cooper, inside their home on Den Meade Avenue. 

Police were called to the residence at around 5:00 a.m. on March 14, after a report of an attempted suicide.

When officers arrived, they found Patrick Cooper dead, suffering from trauma. 

The suspect, Christopher Cooper, was located nearby with multiple self-inflicted stab wounds to his abdomen. 

He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he is being treated for injuries that are not considered "life-threatening."

Christopher Wiley Cooper, 22, of Fort Washington, Md. Photo via PGPD

The preliminary investigation revealed that Christopher Cooper fatally assaulted his father before turning the knife on himself. 

An autopsy confirmed that Patrick Cooper’s cause of death was blunt force trauma.

Christopher Cooper has been charged with first and second-degree murder and related offenses.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the Homicide Unit at 301-516-2512 or Crime Solvers.