Neurosurgeon: Brain Injury A Factor In Plano Murder/Suicide

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PLANO (CBSDFW.COM) - Family of the Plano man accused of killing his mother and brother suspect a traumatic brain injury played a role in the murders.

Investigators said McCann Utu, 19, stabbed his mother Stacy Fawcett and brother Josiah Utu, 17, before taking his own life.

Dozens packed inside a church for a prayer service for the family Friday night. Among those in the audience, Fawcett's brother Scott Fawcett."He is crazy. I mean he had just completely mentally dwindled away," said Scott Fawcett.

Scott McCann said he noticed a sudden change in personality after his nephew suffered a severe concussion. He said his sister took her son to a doctor for treatment, but nothing seemed to work. "You naturally think the first thing he would do is hit someone. I mean to just go from, yeah they fight a bunch, that's fine. From there to this, I'm not surprised but I'm blow away obviously," said Scott Fawcett.

Dr. Brent Morgan, the Director of Neurosurgery at the Medical Center of McKinney, said people are starting to pay closer attention to brain injuries.

"It's coming to the forefront and we're seeing it more often and we're hearing about but it doesn't' surprise me at all," said Dr. Morgan.

Dr. Morgan said it is not uncommon to see sudden changes in a person after a frontal-lobe injury. What frustrates physicians and patients is that treatment for brain injuries is still very limited. "Maybe we can diagnose it and tell you to be careful about getting another head injury. But until we get good with how to rehab this, you're kind of stuck with the injury," said Dr. Morgan.

Any extra money from the Stacy Fawcett GoFundMe Page will be donated to the North Texas Food Bank. The family is still working on details of a memorial service.

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