Police say a New Milford man charged with murdering his mother admitted to drowning her in a river because he needed to sacrifice her to "the demons."

Eric Meagan, 34, stood before a judge in Torrington Tuesday - charged with murdering his 56-year-old mother, Victoria Palmer.

"We received a 911 call about 8:25 yesterday morning. The dispatchers actually spoke to the suspect ,who called in to report that he had killed his mother," said New Milford Police Chief Spencer Cerruto.

Police said Meagan and his mother frequently walked along the Still River at Harrybrooke Park most mornings. But they said on yesterday's walk, Meagan put his mother in a headlock and dragged her in the water.

He told police he held his mother underwater for 10 minutes until she stopped moving. Police say he told them he did it to keep the demons away and that he believed his mother loved him so much that she would have been willing to sacrifice herself to save him.

"A very sad case of domestic violence here in New Milford, and we at the New Milford Police Department and myself want to express our sorrow, our thoughts and prayers are with the family," said Cerruto.

Police said Meagan told them he thought about killing his mother on several other occasions. Meagan's father told police his son has a history of mental illness and that his son had been hospitalized at one point after running outside naked and talking to God.

Police said Meagan at one point planned to kill his entire family and that he killed a family cat before he killed his mother.

Meagan has no prior criminal record. He's being held on a $2 million bond. Meagan is due back in court July 11.

New Milford police say they expect to release the 911 calls Wednesday.