A Coeur d’Alene man accused of fatally attacking his elderly mother is moving through the court system ahead of a six-week trial scheduled to begin in early November. Neil F. Stratton, 52, faces first-degree murder, burglary, and destruction of evidence charges in connection with the death of his mother, Susan Stratton, 77.
The attack occurred on September 18 at a residence on the 1100 block of East Skyline Drive in Coeur d’Alene. Susan Stratton was assaulted while in bed and sustained life-threatening injuries. She was transported to Kootenai Health medical center, where she remained in critical condition and never regained consciousness. In late September, after medical interventions were exhausted, she was moved to hospice care. A legal notice of her death was published in December 2025.
Investigation and Arrest
Stratton emerged as a suspect early in the investigation and fled the North Idaho area, making plans to travel from California to China. A warrant for his arrest was obtained in April 2026. U.S. Marshals arrested him near Los Angeles that same month, and he was extradited to Coeur d’Alene. He was initially held on $1 million bail, which was later increased to $3 million.
A Kootenai County grand jury indicted Stratton in May 2026 on the felony charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
Defense Motion and Grand Jury Disclosure
Stratton’s defense attorney, Jay Logsdon, the top public defender for the First Judicial District, is preparing a motion to dismiss the indictment. As part of his defense strategy, Logsdon requested that the court disclose the names of grand jurors and their voting record, arguing that transparency is necessary for a fair legal process. “There are things my client is supposed to be able to do to make sure it was a fair grand jury,” Logsdon told the Bonner County Daily Bee.
Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney Stan Mortensen opposed full disclosure. “Providing a list of names subjects the grand jurors to intimidation, harassment or retaliation,” he told the outlet.
Judge Regina McCrea of the First Judicial District ruled on the competing requests. She ordered that grand juror names be disclosed to the defense team subject to a protective order designed to limit public access. However, the judge declined to order the release of the grand jury voting record, siding with the prosecution’s concern that revealing how individual jurors voted could expose them to pressure or harm.
What Comes Next
The six-week trial is set to begin in early November 2026. The case represents one of the more serious criminal matters moving through Kootenai County courts, with the prosecution alleging that Stratton murdered his mother and destroyed evidence to cover his involvement. The defense will have access to the identities of the grand jurors who voted to indict, subject to confidentiality protections, but will not receive a record of individual voting patterns.
Related proceedings in Idaho courts continue to reflect the state’s commitment to balancing defendant rights with victim protection and juror safety. Idaho courts have expanded public access to records through new search platforms, while judges continue to manage sensitive cases involving family violence and serious felonies.