Coeur d'Alene man charged with mother’s murder after months-long probe

A Coeur d’Alene man was arrested near Los Angeles as he prepared to board a flight to China, capping a months-long investigation into the killing of his 77-year-old mother in the city’s Skyline neighborhood.

Neil F. Stratton, 52, faces charges of first-degree murder, burglary and destruction of evidence in the death of Susan M. Stratton. Police said the case began Sept. 18, 2025, when officers were called to a home in the 1100 block of East Skyline Drive, near Cherry Hill Park, after a report that an elderly woman had been attacked while in bed.

Investigators found a significant amount of blood inside the home, and Susan Stratton was rushed to Kootenai Health in critical condition. She never regained consciousness and was later moved to hospice care in late September 2025, after doctors concluded no further medical treatment could help. A December 2025 legal notice in Kootenai County listed the estate of Susan Margaret Stratton, showing she had died by then.

Police identified Neil Stratton as a suspect early in the case and later told the public the attack appeared to be deliberate and isolated. Detectives also asked for surveillance video and tips, including footage of an adult bicyclist traveling between Athol and Coeur d’Alene, and they sought an iPhone they believed may have been discarded along that route. Interim Chief Dave Hagar said public feedback and information were instrumental in helping investigators reach their conclusion.

The investigation involved the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office, multiple forensic experts and other law-enforcement partners. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant on April 16, 2026, and arrested Stratton the next day while he was in the Los Angeles area preparing to fly to China. The U.S. Marshals Service has said it plays a central role in transnational fugitive investigations and extradition-related operations, underscoring the reach of the arrest.

The case has drawn close attention in Coeur d’Alene, a city of 54,628 in the 2020 Census and an estimated 57,355 in 2024. Mayor Dan Gookin said he remained supportive and proud of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and called the arrest an example of the department’s commitment to aggressively investigate crimes and seek justice for the community.

Under Idaho law, a killing committed during a burglary can be charged as first-degree murder, a legal framework that helps explain the additional burglary count in the case. For a family and a city that have followed the case since last fall, the arrest brings the investigation into a new and more serious phase.