Who Is Sebastian Van Stockum? Connecticut Man Kills His Mother with Hammer and Then Runs Off Into the Woods Shouting for ‘Mama’

A Connecticut man killed his mother with a hammer, then fled into the woods behind their luxurious home, screaming desperately for his “Mama.” Police arrested Sebastian Van Stockum, 20, on October 24 after he confessed to killing his mother, Laura Williams, 55, inside their nearly $2 million home in New Canaan, about 10 miles from Stamford.

Van Stockum admitted to attacking her with his fists and a hammer, according to the New Canaan Police Department. Officers responded to reports of a man shouting “Mama” in the nearby woods at 10:36 p.m. when 911 received a call from Van Stockum himself, telling dispatchers that “he killed his mother” sometime back.

Senseless Crime

When police arrived at the house, Van Stockum opened the door with his clothes, face, and hands completely covered in blood. Officers quickly handcuffed him before entering the property.

Outside the home, they found his mother, Laura Williams, with severe head injuries and a fractured skull. A hammer stained with blood was found lying in the grass nearby.

Despite desperate CPR efforts from first responders, Williams was pronounced dead at the scene due to the extent of her wounds.

Officers also found a large pool of blood in the driveway, just a few feet from where her body was discovered, according to a police report cited by WFSB.

While in custody, Van Stockum reportedly told police, “I did it. I took my mom’s life.” He went on to say that he had “tried using a knife, tried using a hammer, and used his fists,” adding that he was “not mentally well,” the outlet reported.

Van Stockum was taken to the New Canaan Police Headquarters and charged with murder. In his mugshot, the 20-year-old appeared with blood still on his face and several visible scratch marks.

Williams died from blunt force injuries to the head, and her death was officially ruled a homicide, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Mystery Builds

On Monday, Van Stockum appeared in Stamford Superior Court, where state attorney Paul Ferencek described the killing as an “especially violent murder.” “The victim was found bludgeoned to death with extreme trauma to their skull,” Ferencek said.

Van Stockum’s defense attorney, Philip Russell, described the case as “shocking” at his bond hearing.

“This was a terrible shock,” Russell said. “Nobody anticipated this or foresaw this. At this point, there’s an awful lot of loose ends. All I can say is it would be premature for anyone to rush to judgment. Obviously, this is a tragic situation.”

Van Stockum is currently being held on a $2 million bond and is expected to return to court on November 3. His father, local restaurateur Dirk Van Stockum, attended Monday’s hearing but remained silent about his son’s alleged crime.

Van Stockum’s uncle shared with the Stamford Advocate that Sebastian grew up in New York City and northern New Jersey before moving to the upscale town of New Canaan. He graduated from New Canaan High School in 2023, where classmates remembered him as “socially awkward.”

His uncle, David Williams, said Sebastian had spent a year living with his maternal grandmother in Virginia, his mother’s home state, but said “it didn’t work out.”

Williams, who grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, was a single mother and a respected antique dealer. She graduated from Georgetown University in 1993 and was known as a gifted writer and artist. She had also worked for a short time in film production in Los Angeles before eventually moving to New York City, where she met Sebastian’s father. Though they had a son together, the couple never married.