Suburban man charged with killing mother with sword, hiding her in garbage can

PARK RIDGE, Ill. (Sun-Times Media Wire) -

A man with mental health issues is accused of fatally stabbing his mother with a sword Sunday in northwest suburban Park Ridge.

David Krystyniak, 47, is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Judith Krystyniak, who was found by police Monday with her hand hanging out of a trash can inside the home they both lived in, according to Park Ridge police.

Investigators were still searching for a motive.

“It’s not clear what triggered this tragic and sad event,” Park Ridge Police Chief Frank J. Kaminski said in a news conference Wednesday.

A Cook County judge on Wednesday ordered Krystyniak held without bail, according to county records.

About 9:30 a.m. Monday, an officer on routine patrol with a social worker noticed food and milk containers spread across the Krystyniak’s driveway in the 1900 block of Courtland Avenue, Kaminski said.

The officer and social worker were familiar with the man due to his mental illness, and tried to make contact by knocking on the door and calling a phone, Kaminski said. No one answered.

The officer and social worker checked the home again about 12:15 p.m. and found David Krystyniak in the driveway, Kaminski said. Asked where his mother was, Krystyniak said she was sleeping inside the house. Krystyniak then invited the officer and social worker inside to see her. They checked the bedrooms but found no one.

The officer then noticed a large, two-wheeled garbage can in the living room and noticed a bloody hand hanging from it, Kaminski said.

Inside the can, they found the body of 74-year-old Judith Krystyniak, who had multiple stab wounds in her chest, Kaminski said. An autopsy ruled her death a homicide, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Officers also found a 2-feet-long sword inside the house, and immediately arrested Krystyniak, Kaminski said. Krystyniak later admitted to detectives he stabbed his mother.

Investigators believe the stabbing happened sometime on Sunday, and that Krystyniak planned to wheel out the trash to the street for its scheduled pickup, Kaminski said.

Krystyniak lived in the home with his mother for decades, Kaminski said. Both were life-long residents of Park Ridge, and the department had no knowledge of domestic problems in the past, although Krystyniak previously displayed odd behavior.

“We’ve had calls of him doing erratic things,” Kaminski said. “For example, knocking on neighbors doors asking for money — asking for food.” Kaminski said he was sometimes outside partially clothed, but there was no history of violent behavior.

Earlier this month, Park Ridge police received a call from the son who said his mom was having an overdose, Kaminski said. Officers and paramedics arrived, but the mother was fine. She told police that David was having problems balancing his new medication.

David Krystyniak’s criminal history includes a 2008 battery conviction, according to county records. It’s unclear who the victim was.

He was scheduled to appear in court again on Aug. 14.