Stratton's finances scrutinized in murder case

COEUR d'ALENE — Prosecutors argued in court Friday that jurors should hear about Neil Stratton's financial contributions in a past romantic relationship. At the same time, defense counsel asserted that Stratton's more remote financial history isn't relevant to the question of whether he killed his elderly mother last year.

Neil Stratton, 53, of Coeur d'Alene, is on trial for first-degree murder, burglary and destruction of evidence in connection with the death of his mother, 77-year-old Susan Stratton. 

The state alleges that Neil Stratton brutally attacked his mother in the Coeur d'Alene rental home they shared in September 2025, causing the injuries that led to her death three weeks later. Prosecutors said Neil Stratton relied on his mother to provide for him financially and that he killed her because she planned to sell the Spirit Lake property he stood to inherit and then move out of state. 

"The issue of money is central to this case," said prosecuting attorney Art Verharen. 

Jamie Mann, a Coeur d'Alene resident who dated Neil Stratton from 2019 until 2021, took the stand Friday. 

After Neil Stratton moved in with her in 2019, Mann said she was his only means of support. He never contributed financially to the household, despite promises and didn't work after he was laid off in late 2020. She said he had earned about $10,000 that year. 

"His employment was pretty irregular," she said. 

Mann said she helped her ex organize information related to state and federal taxes, which he had not paid in years. Failed business ventures had contributed to his financial woes. 

"His finances were a mess," she said. 

Body camera footage played in court Friday showed Neil Stratton's interactions with police on Sept. 18, 2025. He told police he had spent the night at the Spirit Lake property and returned to find the rental home "ransacked" and his mother badly injured. 

Carson Chapman, a detective with the Coeur d'Alene Police Department, was one of the officers who responded to the scene. She spent about an hour talking to Neil Stratton outside the home after his mother was taken to the hospital. 

Chapman asked Neil Stratton if he or his mother had any enemies. 

"My mom and my sister had a falling out two years ago," he said, adding that his mother and sister recently had lunch. "My mom said she didn't trust her. She doesn't trust her with the address here." 

He later told a different police officer that he didn't believe his sister was responsible for the attack. 

Chapman described Neil Stratton's demeanor the night of the attack. She said he appeared to show little concern for his mother. 

"I noticed he wasn't crying," she said. "He didn't seem overwhelmed with emotion. He never shed a tear that I saw. He would kind of grimace a little." 

The trial continues Monday.