TRAGIC INCIDENT: New Albany Man Charged With Murdering His 56-year-old Mother at Home

NEW ALBANY, Ind.- A New Albany man is suspected of killing his mother at their home last week.

Floyd County Prosecutor Chris Lane and New Albany Police Chief Todd Bailey held a news conference on Wednesday to announce charges against Maxwell Allen Samourian.

The 23-year-old was named a suspect in a “possible homicide” on June 19. That is when his mother, 56-year-old Sally Samourian, was discovered dead at a home in the 3400 block of Greenview Drive, a community off Green Valley Road.

Officials claimed Sally Samourian was discovered in her bedroom. Her kid, Maxwell, was discovered in the garage. “They also discovered her son, Maxwell Samourian, 23, who was there on the scene. Officers were swift to secure the scene and ensure that Maxwell was appropriately detained, so he couldn’t flee before our inquiry,” Bailey added.

“I hate to see all the turmoil going on,” Marvin Loi, a neighbor, said. “I’m old-fashioned. I live in the past. “We had rules.”

Bailey stated that the details of the case were passed over to Lane, and a warrant was issued for Maxwell’s arrest.

“Cases like this shock the community. “We are extremely fortunate that there is very little violent crime in New Albany,” Bailey added. “This is our first homicide in 2024. And we have seen a 15% decline in violent crime compared to the same period last year.”

Bailey attributed the drop in violent crime to the efforts of New Albany Police and the men and women who serve in Floyd County’s criminal justice system.

Lane also praised the detectives working the case, who remained up all night to get the facts straight.

“In every investigation, you have a window of opportunity,” Lane told me. “And they go actively looking for evidence. And I’m very pleased of how they handled this.”

Lane stated that Maxwell had now been charged with murder. He is currently in detention at Louisville Metro Corrections and will be transferred to Floyd County “at a later date to be determined.”

Lane stated that a gun was not used in the crime.

“So I keep everything down to the Probable Cause (affidavit), and in the Probable Cause there was no indication of a weapon being used,” Lane informed the jury. “The allegation was that a knife was used.”

According to Maxwell’s arrest report, officers discovered serious cuts across Sally’s body, including her neck and face. It also alleges that officers discovered her blood and hair under Maxwell’s fingernails.

According to the arrest report, Sally Samourian recently contacted 911 to report her son’s violence with her.

“It’s a sad world,” Loi explained. “It is sad. It’s sad for her, and them both.”

Lane stated that the first call concerning the incident began as a routine welfare check.

“A neighbor may hear something, have concerns … maybe a family member, or in this case the allegation is a boyfriend is concerned something’s wrong,” he claimed. “So they contact dispatch, and then an officer is sent out to investigate to see what’s going on.”

After ascertaining that a suspected crime had occurred, the officers entered the home, not knowing what they would discover. “They walked into something horrible.”

Lane stated that it sometimes takes time to establish the facts of a case before filing charges.

“In every case, the charges can come at any moment,” added the lawyer. “What we try to do is let the evidence lead where we go. So, before charging anyone, we needed to ensure that the evidence pointed us in the right direction. So there may be a lag at times.”

Maxwell was sent to the hospital because he “had some superficial injuries, some of which were unrelated to the case in general,” according to WDRB. Lane stated that there were no apparent mental health difficulties.

Anyone with additional information can call the New Albany Police Department at 812-948-5300.

Indiana State Police have been aiding with the investigation.