An early Mother's Day Present
CLARKSVILLE, IN — A man has been arrested and charged with a level 5 felony for involuntary manslaughter after police say he pushed his mother over a balcony in July, causing her to fall to her death.
Blaze Golas, 21, was arrested Wednesday, the same day the charge was filed in the case. He appeared for an initial hearing Thursday morning in Clark County Circuit Court No. 4. where a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf and a mental health evaluation ordered.
Court records show that when Clarksville police responded to a disturbance call July 19 at an apartment complex on Evergreen Court, they found Golas’ mother, Julie Ballard, on the first floor unconscious and unresponsive. Google Maps shows this complex has two floors, with balconies on the second floor.
En route to the hospital, Ballard died from her injuries. A later autopsy showed she had multiple blunt force injuries, which caused her neck to break. When police spoke with the suspect at the scene, he said the two had been in an argument that turned physical and that he had pushed her from the second floor balcony.
Later at the police station, Golas told investigators his mother had been saying hurtful things to him and that “he was tired of her being mean,” court records show.
He said he had not intended to kill Ballard but “wanted her to fall so she would know he wouldn’t tolerate her being mean anymore.” He also said he believed she would survive based on her falling down the stairs before and surviving.
Golas’ bond remains at $15,000 court cash, which means he could be released by paying 10% of that. If released, he is to be on level 1 pretrial monitoring, which is the strictest. A pretrial conference is scheduled for April 7 at 9 a.m.