COEUR d’ALENE — Police have arrested a man accused of attacking and fatally injuring his elderly mother last September, apprehending the suspect as he prepared to fly to China, according to the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.

Neil F. Stratton, 52, of Coeur d’Alene, is charged with first-degree murder, burglary and destruction of evidence, all felonies, in connection with the death of his mother, 77-year-old Susan M. Stratton. 

The charges stem from Sept. 18 of last year, when Coeur d’Alene police responded to the 1100 block of E. Skyline Drive for a report of “an elderly woman who had been attacked while in bed.” 

The woman, Susan Stratton, sustained severe and life-threatening injuries in the attack. There was a “significant amount of blood” at the scene, according to police. 

She was transported to Kootenai Health, where police said she remained in critical condition and did not regain consciousness. She was moved to hospice care in late September, according to law enforcement, “after doctors concluded that all possible medical interventions had been exhausted.” 

Legal notices published in December stated that Susan Stratton was deceased and her son, Neil Stratton, had been appointed personal representative of her estate.  

In February and March, Neil Stratton posted publicly on Facebook that he was selling up to two 10-acre lots on Catbird Drive in Spirit Lake, valued at around $292,000. His mother was listed as a secondary owner of both lots, according to public records, and conveyed one of the lots to him in 2021.  

Neil Stratton emerged as a suspect early in the investigation, according to the Coeur d’Alene Police Department. Authorities told the public in October that they had identified a person of interest and that they believed the attack was a “deliberate, isolated act.” 

Police requested the community’s assistance in uncovering additional evidence. 

“When we reached out to the public for assistance early on in the investigation, their feedback and information they provided was instrumental to coming to this conclusion,” Interim Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Dave Hagar told The Press. 

In October, investigators called for people to come forward with surveillance footage showing an adult riding a bicycle in the area between Clagstone Road and U.S. 95 in Athol, continuing along U.S. 95 and Pope Road/Government Way into Coeur d’Alene and through the area between U.S. 95 and 15th Street to East Hazel Avenue. 

Police also searched for an iPhone that may have been discarded somewhere along the route. 

Following a lengthy investigation that involved collaboration with the Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, as well as other law enforcement partners and “forensic experts,” Coeur d’Alene detectives obtained a warrant for Neil Stratton’s arrest on Thursday. 

While working to locate him, detectives learned that Neil Stratton had left North Idaho and planned to travel from California to China, according to police. In 2024 and 2025, he publicly posted numerous photos, videos and writings on Facebook documenting extended trips to China. 

U.S. Marshals arrested Neil Stratton around 8 a.m. Friday, near Los Angeles. He is awaiting extradition to Coeur d’Alene. 

Hagar praised the diligence and dedication that his officers showed during the seven-month investigation. He also pointed to his agency’s collaboration with county prosecutors. 

“We worked really hard with the prosector’s office to ensure that we had what we needed to bring this case to justice,” Hagar said. 

Brett Bunn, U.S. Marshal for the District of Idaho, said the collaboration between different law enforcement agencies “resulted in the arrest of a dangerous fugitive as he was about to leave the country.” 

“Without that cooperation, the fugitive would have entered a foreign country, making extradition difficult, if not impossible,” he said.