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‘Her yard was her life’: woman police say was killed by her son remembered by loved ones

NESHANNOCK TOWNSHIP, Pa. — At the corner of Mercer Road, flowers are blooming as sounds of spring are in the air.

“Her yard was her life. I mean the flowers, the bank if it was nice a day, she was pulling weeds all day long,” said Richard Gabriel.

RELATED: Man confesses to killing mom, hitting her in the head repeatedly with a hammer and glass, police say

Gabriel is remembering his 65-year-old neighbor Cecelia Liposky. He last saw her Monday morning just hours before her death.

“Kind of really shocked. This is a quiet neighborhood. Everyone knows everyone. Someone needs help, we help,” Gabriel said.

State police covered the neighborhood after they said Liposky was found beaten to death by a hammer from inside her home.  Police charged her son Shane McDevitt, with her murder.

“I’m so sorry to everyone. My mom was great. I loved her,” McDevitt said.

Police said McDevitt admitted to killing his mom after an argument over his drug addiction, but he wasn’t arrested right away.

He fled the scene in his mother’s car.

“Trooper asks, you know where the car is? I was like, it’s always in the first stall. but it was gone,” Gabriel said.

Nearly 48 hours later, McDevitt was spotted by Millvale Police in his mother’s missing car. Police said he led them on a chase before crashing near Route 28.

Now in custody, full of emotion, McDevitt has a message for his family.

“I just love them and I’m sorry,” McDevitt said.

McDevitt was also arraigned Wednesday morning in Butler County on separate criminal charges against his previous girlfriend. He will be in court on May 18.