Riverside man admits to fatally stabbing his mother during 2021 argument

A Riverside man pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing his mother during an argument in 2021 on Thursday. 

Otis James Porter, 41, admitted to second-degree murder as well as a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. 

The deal, under which no charges were dismissed, was announced Thursday morning as pretrial motions were set to get underway. The agreement is expected to be certified by Superior Court Judge Joshlyn Pulliam at Porter's sentencing hearing on Feb. 21. The prison terms stipulated upon by both the prosecution and defense was 16-years-to-life in state prison. 

He was officially sentenced on Friday, Feb. 22. 

Porter was arrested back on March 21, 2021, when police were dispatched to the 4200 block of Monroe Street after he called them to report that he had attacked his mother, Linda Coleman. 

Riverside Police Department officer Ryan Railsback said that Porter and his mother were engaged in an argument that escalated into physical violence, at which point he grabbed a knife and stabbed her multiple times. 

"He also stabbed himself ... causing injuries to one of his legs," Railsback said. 

Porter called 911 after his mother collapsed. He told the dispatcher that he had attacked her and injured himself in the process. He was arrested a few minutes after the call without further incident and has been held without bail since. 

Despite CPR attempts to keep Coleman alive until she could reach a nearby hospital, she was pronounced dead upon arrival, police said.

No reason for the argument was ever stated.