A 40-year-old Bend man with a history of assaulting his mother now faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with her death Wednesday. 

Joshua Lawrence Smith was arrested Wednesday evening after allegedly killing his mother in her apartment in northeast Bend, police said. He was arraigned on the murder charge Thursday in Deschutes County Circuit Court.

A concerned neighbor reported a domestic disturbance at the Legacy Landing apartments near NE 27th Street around 5:15 p.m. Wednesday. Bend Police officers arrived at the apartment of 59-year-old Janice Marie Smith and found her critically injured. Her son Joshua was the only other person in the apartment, said Sheila Miller, Bend Police spokesperson.

Officers performed CPR on Janice Smith, but she was declared dead around 5:40 p.m. after medics arrived, Miller said.

“From the crime scene it appears that she died as a result of blunt force trauma,” District Attorney Steve Gunnels told The Bulletin.

He called what happened a “violent physical confrontation.” 

Authorities declined to give details on the nature of Janice Smith’s injuries in lieu of an autopsy report. They also did not disclose what was used to kill her. 

Joshua Smith was living with his mother at the time of her death, Gunnels told The Bulletin.

Joshua Smith was immediately taken to police headquarters for questioning, then to the hospital for evaluation and then to the Deschutes County jail, where he remained Thursday. 

Joshua Smith was convicted of second degree assault in 2018 for hitting his mother in the head with a rock, for which he served time, according to court records.

Joshua Smith was no stranger to residents of Legacy Landing. A small handful of residents had seen him around and described his behavior as odd. Some voiced concerns that there hasn’t been a property manager staffed at the building for some time.

“We are looking through our files and our logs to see if there were any red flags,” said Rodger Moore of Epic Property Management, on Thursday afternoon.

Moore has experienced challenges dealing with unauthorized guests and retaining property managers due to the remnants of the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide employee shortage. 

He said Janice Smith’s death was heartbreaking, a sentiment shared by other residents.

“It’s a terrible way to die,” said Sharon Warner, and 89-year-old who lived a floor below Janice Smith. 

She said Janice Smith was a “wonderful person,” who loved decorating her apartment and spending time with her granddaughter, who had recently visited. 

This is the second domestic dispute in recent months that ended with a man allegedly killing his mother in Bend.

Theodore John Bowser, 37, is accused of stabbing his mother, Rene Lynn Felker, 60, to death at their home on SE Lee Lane. He has been charged with second-degree murder.

Bowser has also been accused of assaulting his half-brother, Taylor Bowser, 37, who called 911 and tried to stop him, police said. His plea hearing is set for April 1 in the Deschutes County Circuit Court.

Bulletin reporter Bryce Dole contributed to this report.