JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Evidence compiled in the case against the Neptune Beach teen accused of murdering his grandmother suggest he was suicidal, had a drinking problem and was recently accused of raping his ex-girlfriend.
Those details surfaced in court records made public Friday in the case of Logan Mott, the 15-year-old charged with second-degree murder in the November 2017 death of his grandmother, Kristina French.
French, 53, was found buried in a shallow grave in her son’s yard Nov. 24, the same day Mott was stopped at the Canadian border with his French’s car and an arsenal of guns, knives and ammunition.
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An autopsy found French died of a gunshot wound to the head. She also had a series of stab wounds on her head, shoulder and both hands, according to the medical examiner’s report.
Investigators suspect French was killed with a .38 caliber round fired from a Smith and Wesson revolver, both of which were collected as evidence.
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Police spoke with several people close to the family as part of the investigation. One friend said Mott told her in a Nov. 20 phone call that he had shot a woman “execution style,” leaving “blood everywhere.”
“About my grandmother just pretend she was never born okay, don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to,” he told another friend about French’s disappearance, according to a police report.
Attorney Gene Nichols, who has no ties to the case, said the combined weight of the evidence will be difficult for the defense to overcome at trial.
"Those admissions are obviously going to come into evidence at trial, and they basically very specifically admit the crime he committed," said Nichols.
An ex-girlfriend said her relationship with Mott soured after she noticed a “violent side of Logan,” saying he repeatedly mentioned wanting to “kill himself.” At one point, she said, he put a gun to his head.
Nothing seemed wrong when Mott and French had dinner with one of her co-workers Nov. 16. But the next day, the co-worker said, French was upset because she’d found Mott drunk at home.
A long-time friend of Mott’s and a school counselor said they spoke with Mott in the days leading up to French’s death. Both said he mentioned having broken up with his girlfriend, who accused him of rape.
The counselor told police Mott seemed happy when she saw him Nov. 15 and 16. She said he was home alone, but didn’t seem fazed because his father had left him a shotgun for protection.
Asked about French, the counselor was surprised to learn Mott’s grandmother was part of his life “because he has never talked about her previously,” according to a police report.
"Clearly at this stage, the state believes there is something that either snapped or a quick emotion that happened, which is why at this stage they haven't charged him with first-degree murder," Nichols said.
Mott and French were reported missing Nov. 22 after his father, Eric, returned from vacation to find his Seagate Avenue home vacant and ransacked. Several guns and French’s Dodge Dart were gone.
Armed with a search warrant, investigators found blood spatters and bloodstained items throughout the home. Crime scene technicians found French’s body while excavating the back yard Nov. 24.
Later that day, Mott was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol near Buffalo on an outstanding warrant for auto theft. Investigators issued a murder warrant for him four days later.
Mott was extradited Dec. 5 to Jacksonville, where he is currently awaiting trial. He has pleaded not guilty.
Nichols said Mott's public defender, Charlie Cofer, will challenge prosecutors to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
“At the same time, if it comes down to the fact that his client did commit this crime, he’s going to be working not only to see if they can prove it, but also mitigation when it comes to a possible sentence," Nichols said.