DISCLAIMER: This article contains graphic descriptions of physical violence and discussions of mental illness and may not be suitable for all readers. INDIANAPOLIS — Formal charges have been filed against an Indianapolis man arrested in the stabbing deaths of his parents, online court reco rds show. David White, 38, appeared in court Thursday morning for an initial hearing in the murder trial of his parents, mom Cynthia Pottle and stepfather Robert Pottle Jr. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to the Pottles’ home on Lakeshire Lane Sunday afternoon after a 911 caller reported “a man was actively stabbing his father in the driveway.” Officers arrived and found Robert Pottle, 80, in the driveway with “massive amounts of trauma” to the upper half of his body. Cynthia Pottle, 75, would be found inside the home with grave wounds to her face and neck. First responders pronounced Cynthia Pottle dead at the scene; Robert Pottle died about an hour later at a nearby hospital. The suspect, White, was found inside a bathroom, soaking wet and stripped to his underwear. Officers arrested him without incident. Witness’s account to investigators At the scene, detectives spoke with the 911 caller and witness who tried to intervene in the fight. Police say the witness said he heard a “strange moaning” outside and stepped out of his home to see White hitting Robert Pottle in the neck and face with a shovel. The witness ran at White, causing White to retreat inside the house. In White’s absence, the witness was briefly met by Cynthia Pottle and called 911. Court documents say White returned with a shovel and a kitchen knife. The witness got hold of the shovel, but White did not stop the assault, turning to stab Robert Pottle with the knife. Police say the witness tried to hit White with the shovel, but the suspect retreated into the house once again. Investigators would later find a knife and a shovel near Robert Pottle’s body, as well as an open jug of bleach. A small metal garden shovel and garden shears covered in blood were located inside near Cynthia Pottle. Family was ‘increasingly concerned’ about White’s health Investigators say White refused to speak with officers at the scene, claiming the Pottles had been holding him at the house against his will. Online records show White’s permanent residence as being the home on Lakeshire Lane. Through the course of the investigation, detectives learned from the Pottles’ daughter and White’s half-sister that there had been growing concern over White’s behavior in the previous months. Police say White reportedly stopped taking his medication and refused to complete a mental health evaluation ordered by a Hamilton County court. White had also become very aggressive with his parents, believing he was being held against his will and that “he was being poisoned via a new HVAC system” the Pottles installed in the house. “Mrs. Pottle was in the process of trying to obtain a mental write for Mr. White because she felt it was becoming unsafe for Mr. White to continue to stay with them,” court documents say. Text messages pulled from Robert Pottle’s phone show the final text from Cynthia Pottle being around noon Sunday, asking him to come home because White was concerning her. Prosecutors file charges White was formally charged Wednesday with two counts of murder and one count of attempting to commit battery by means of a deadly weapon. He was being held in the Marion County jail without bond. His next court date has not been set. Mental health resources Wellness Council of Indiana Indiana Suicide Prevention Indiana Department of Child Services’ Children’s Mental Health Initiative National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 or 800-273-8255 More resources ...read more read less