PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The man accused of shooting and killing his elderly mother in West Oak Lane last year faces up to 40 years in prison.
Luke Bell, now 49, was arrested on Sept. 3, 2025, on a firearms violation.
The next morning, officers were called to a home near Tulpehocken and Rodney streets where Bell's mother, 80-year-old Crystal Bell, was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head. She was pronounced dead shortly after 7 a.m.
At the time, detectives did not confirm exactly when the shooting took place, but said the gun recovered from Bell during his arrest was the same caliber as the evidence found at the crime scene.
In July, Bell pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, reckless endangerment and a gun offense in a negotiated deal with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
At his sentencing on Oct. 9, 2026, Bell admitted he shot and killed his 80-year-old mother. A judge sentenced him to 17 ½ to 40 years in prison.
