A disturbing incident unfolded when a teenager was arrested and charged with killing his mother, with the heinous act witnessed by his father through home security footage.
Garrett Behlau, aged 19, stands accused of the murder of his 54-year-old mother, Theresa Behlau. His arrest took place on August 19 after his father, who was eight hours away, alerted the Chattanooga police upon viewing the harrowing footage from their home security system.
In response to the distressing revelation, Chattanooga police were summoned to the family’s residence in the Waterhaven subdivision along South Chickamauga Creek. The father relayed that he had observed his son, Garrett Behlau, strangling his mother until she succumbed to the fatal assault, as documented in Hamilton County court records.
According to the father, Garrett Behlau proceeded to remove his mother’s lifeless body from the camera’s field of view.
Upon arrival at the house, law enforcement found Garrett Behlau seated on the bedroom floor, as documented in court records.
Questioned about his mother’s whereabouts, Behlau informed the officers that she was “in the woods,” as detailed in the criminal affidavit. Subsequent investigation led to the discovery of Theresa Behlau’s lifeless body in the woods, her head covered with Saran wrap.
The affidavit revealed that authorities later reviewed video evidence exhibiting Garrett strangling his mother, removing her body, and subsequently returning with paper towels to cleanse the crime scene.
The 19-year-old faces charges of criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. His bond has been set at $300,000, and his initial court appearance is scheduled for August 25.