A 66-year-old Florida woman is being held without bond following charges that she killed her 97-year-old mother as part of an assisted suicide pact.

Key Takeaways:

Martha Jo Blake has been charged with murdering her mother, Patricia Blake.

Martha Jo told authorities her mother had wanted to die, and had previously requested assisted suicide in the state of Maine.

The Medical Examiner's Office found injuries on Patricia consistent with homicide, including a purplish color on her skin, a broken neck, and eye hemorrhaging consistent with suffocation or strangulation.

Assisted suicide is illegal in Florida, where the two were living.

The Details:

Martha Jo Blake faces first degree murder charges after she allegedly killed her mother, Patricia Blake, in their home.

When deputies responded to a call at the home near Greenacres, Florida on December 26, they found Patricia lying in bed, covered with a sheet. An investigation by the Medical Examiner's Office revealed injuries that were consistent with homicide rather than a natural death, including a purplish color on her skin (indicating that something had been placed over her face), a broken neck, and eye hemorrhaging consistent with suffocation or strangulation.

According to reports, Martha Jo then told authorities she had served as Patricia's caregiver for at least five years. She told police that her mother, who suffered from Parkinson's disease and had other medical issues, had expressed a wish to die and that “she did not want to live.” 

Article continues below

Dear Reader,

In 2026, Live Action is heading straight where the battle is fiercest: college campuses.

We have a bold initiative to establish 100 Live Action campus chapters within the next year, and your partnership will make it a success!

Your support today will help train and equip young leaders, bring Live Action’s educational content into academic environments, host on-campus events and debates, and empower students to challenge the pro-abortion status quo with truth and compassion.

Invest in pro-life grassroots outreach and cultural formation with your TRIPLED year-end gift!

The two had previously discussed assisted suicide with Patricia's primary care physician in Maine, but had learned that she did not qualify, as her condition was not considered "terminal." Martha Jo reportedly told police she had also looked into ordering suicide pills for her mother, but they could not find anything lethal enough to kill her. Assisted suicide is not legal in the state of Florida.

Detectives removed numerous items from the home, including “the clothing that Martha stated she was wearing when she strangled Patricia.” Martha Jo was booked on a first-degree premeditated murder charge into Palm Beach County Jail, where she is being held without bond.

The Bottom Line:

The horrific murder of Patricia Blake exposes the flawed thinking of those who champion assisted suicide and euthanasia. Regardless of whether state lawmakers arbitrarily decide that there are some instances in which 'assisted death' is acceptable, murder is always wrong — even if the victim is old, suffering, or wants to die. Yet it is instances like this that will spark calls for the legalization of assisted death, as if murder by pills or lethal injection is somehow morally acceptable.

Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.

Contact [email protected] for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.

Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email [email protected] with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!