Wisconsin man charged with beheading mother with sword

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man who prosecutors say is severely mentally ill is charged in the death of his mother, who was beheaded with a  sword.

Forty-year-old Matthew Skalitzky appeared in court Monday. He's accused in the Sept. 11 death of his mother, 68-year-old Jane Skalitzky, at a town house in the Madison suburb of Sun Prairie.

Assistant District Attorney Corey Stephan says Skalitzky became upset with his mother after she found a box containing knives and a sword with a 4-foot blade.

The prosecutor says Matthew Skalitzky is severely mentally ill and saw people, including his mother, as inhuman clones.

The Wisconsin State Journal reports bail was set at $1 million.

Defense attorney Stan Woodard had argued bail wasn't necessary because Skalitzky was being held in a mental health facility.

A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 6.