$500K bond set for man charged in mother's stabbing death

BILLINGS (AP) — Bond was set at $500,000 for a Billings man who was charged with stabbing his mother to death over the weekend and wanted to know why he couldn't plead guilty at his initial court appearance Tuesday.

Jonah Dean Bergman, 29, pleaded not guilty to deliberate homicide after first asking, "I can't just plead guilty?"

District Court Judge Jessica Fehr urged him to retain his rights and consult an attorney before entering a guilty plea. Online jail records do not indicate if Bergman has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Bergman is charged with stabbing his mother early Saturday, The Billings Gazette reported.

Police were called about a suspicious man covered in blood walking along the street at 6:30 a.m. Saturday. When officers asked where the blood came from, Bergman replied, "I just stabbed and killed my mother," according to charging documents.

The officers arrested Bergman.

Police went to his home, where they found Cynthia Cook, 67, dead with a kitchen knife near her body. She died of multiple stab wounds, according to the Yellowstone County coroner's office.