A man in Atlanta, Georgia, has been convicted after he killed his mother and her boyfriend and lived with their bodies inside of the couple’s home for about two weeks.
Authorities said that Neil Russell reportedly lived with the bodies of his mother, Henrietta Russell, and her longtime boyfriend, Marvin Spencer, for approximately two weeks after he stabbed them to death in late February 2025.
Fulton County Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney Travis Thomas told Channel 2 Atlanta that Russell, 41, waited until his mother was paid her Social Security and “he immediately went to an ATM machine and emptied out her account.”
As Russell continued to live at home with the bodies, Spencer’s daughter Maria Spencer grew concerned when she could not reach him. Suspicions about their welfare grew when Russell answered his mom’s phone when Maria called it in an attempt to locate Spencer.
Maria said that she had never met Russell, though she knew something wasn’t right when he answered his mother’s phone. She then went to the couple’s apartment and asked the property manager to do a welfare check, though they were unable to get into the residence.
Cops were eventually called about the situation, and they reported to the scene, where they smelled the decomposing bodies from outside. Responding officers then got involved in an hours-long standoff with Russell before he eventually surrendered.
A SWAT team forced entry into the home on March 7, 2025, and found the bodies inside. Authorities said that they believe Henrietta and Spencer had been dead for at least two weeks before their bodies were recovered.
Russell was recently convicted of the murders and was sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences plus an additional 25 years, according to Channel 2 Atlanta. The sentence means that he won’t be eligible for parole for at least 60 years, making it likely that he will die in prison.
While Russell was found guilty, police have said there’s not a clear motive for why Russell killed Henrietta and Spencer. However, Russell does have a known history of substance abuse issues.
“We know he has [a] drug history. He had just gone out of rehab at the time,” Thomas told the outlet.
Maria reflected on the tragedy while speaking to Channel 2 Atlanta, saying that her “faith is one of the main” reasons she has been able to process her father and Henrietta’s killings. “I haven’t really necessarily taken the time off to properly grieve,” she added.
