Son admits to killing mother in Upper Darby stabbing, police claim

A 20-year-old man has been arrested and charged after, police claim, he admitted to investigators that he killed his mother following an argument at their Upper Darby home on Monday.

According to court documents, Quadir Ford, 20, of Upper Darby, has been charged with murder, theft and related offenses after he killed his mother, Michelle Fleming, 51, following an argument at their home along the 4600 block of South State Road on Monday.

Officers responded to the home on Monday to find Fleming lying in the kitchen after suffering several stab wounds, according to investigators.

She was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, court documents note.

According to court documents, an unidentified witness who initially found Fleming told police they left the residence earlier that day while both Fleming and Ford were at the home.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.

The witness, according to court documents, returned from work shortly after 4 p.m. to find Fleming unresponsive.

At that time, the witness told police both Fleming’s cellphone and vehicle — a 2013 GMC Arcadia — were missing.

Using a phone locater app, the witness was able to track the location of the missing cellphone to an address on the 100 block of Baltimore Pike in Springfield Township, court documents claim.

Investigators went to the location and found a vehicle matching the description of the GMC owned by Fleming driving along the 700 block of West Sproul Road in Springfield Township and, upon conducting a vehicle stop, found and arrested Ford, court documents note.

In a conversation with investigators, court documents claim, Ford admitted to stabbing his mother to death following an argument on Monday.

He also told police he left the knife that was used in the attack, along with gloves and a mask, in a trashcan in the rear of the property, court documents claim.

Those items, with blood still coating the knife, were later recovered from that trashcan, according to court documents.

Ford is being held in Delaware County Prison as he awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 19, 2026.