An Augusta man who police say shot his mother in the head in November has been indicted by a Kennebec County grand jury on aggravated attempted murder, attempted murder and elevated aggravated assault charges.

Samuel C. Bell, 26, allegedly shot his mother, Christina Bell, 58, in the head at her Belgrade home Nov. 24, 2024.

An indictment handed up by a Kennebec County grand jury alleges Bell “did intentionally attempt to cause the death of Christina Bell by shooting her in the head with a firearm, and at the time of Samuel C. Bell’s actions, his intention to kill was accompanied by premeditation-in-fact.”

An indictment is not an indication of guilt, but indicates enough evidence exists for a case to proceed to trial.

Christina Bell suffered serious injuries when shot and was taken by a LifeFlight of Maine helicopter to Maine Medical Center in Portland, officials said. She was later taken to a hospital in Boston. She was expected to survive, Shannon Moss, public information officer for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said at the time of Bell’s arrest.

On the day of the shooting, the Augusta Regional Communications Center received a 911 call from Samuel Bell at 11:03 a.m. reporting he had shot his mother in the face, according to an affidavit written by Maine State Police Trooper Nicholas Watson.

Samuel Bell said his mother was trying to make him commit suicide, so he shot her, Watson wrote.

Officials said they believe Samuel Bell shot his mother from inside his car, given an apparent bullet hole in one of his car windows and the lack of any shell casing found at Bell’s home at 15 Point Road.

The affidavit includes that Christina Bell’s husband, Charles Bell, 56, told police that Christina Bell was expecting their son to pay $300 he owed them.

In an interview with officials, Samuel Bell said he left work in Oakland at 10 a.m. the day of the shooting, saying he had quit and returned to his apartment to retrieve a gun. The indictment lists his residence on Greenlief Street in Augusta.

Samuel Bell told police he notified his mother he would be coming with the $300, and he drove to her house with the intention of shooting her, officials said.

Samuel Bell said he backed his car into the driveway and shot her once in the head when she approached the car, according to the affidavit. He reportedly told police after he left the home that he had shot his mother and she needed medical attention. Shortly after that, he was arrested on Guptill Road where had notified the communications center he would be and waited for troopers.

Samuel Bell was initially charged with elevated aggravated assault and attempted murder. He was indicted in February on those charges and the additional charge of aggravated attempted murder.

Aggravated attempted murder is punishable in Maine by up to life in prison. The other two crimes with which Samuel Bell has been charged are punishable by up to 30 years in prison.