Son indicted for 'brutal' murder of his mother

An Oakland County grand jury has indicted a 21-year-old Highland Township man with first-degree premeditated murder for the slaying of his mother in May.

Around 2:30 p.m. on May 27, deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department Highland Township Substation were dispatched to a home in the 2400 block of Burwood Court in response to an emergency call. The victim, 51-year-old Ruth Anne Pyne, was found dead on the floor of the home’s garage with a large amount of blood surrounding her.

She was discovered by her 10-year-old daughter, who had just been picked up by her father at school.

The preliminary investigation showed Ruth Pyne suffered severe trauma to her head and neck, while an autopsy conducted at the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide.

Ruth Pyne’s head had been beaten in and she had been stabbed 16 times in the neck during the murder that Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper called “brutal” in a press release issued Wednesday, Oct. 12, announcing the indictment.

Jeffrey Pyne was indicted for the murder of his mother, with whom he lived, after the grand jury listened to testimony compiled from his family, friends, and co-workers, which produced evidence allegedly linking him to the murder, according to the release.

The grand jury’s reasoning for indicting Pyne cannot be discussed, although transcripts of the proceedings are made available to the defense attorney in keeping with open court practices.

“How the grand jury works is that it protects witnesses who are reluctant to come forward with information,” Cooper said. “Some are recalcitrant, but others are afraid. And until the investigation is completed or the suspect is in custody, some are worried about their safety. So this process protects their confidentiality and safety.”

Jeffrey Pyne was arraigned today before Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Martha D. Anderson and is being held without bond.

He will be tried before Circuit Court Judge Leo Bowman.

No date has been set for a pre-trial hearing.

The sentence for first-degree premeditated murder is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. o