The 37-year-old Lake Mills, Iowa, man charged with attempted murder of his mother in April pleaded guilty on Friday at the Cerro Gordo County Courthouse to the lesser of his two charges.

Timothy Patrick Winter, who was found competent to stand trial in his case earlier this month, pleaded guilty to his charge of willful injury in exchange for his charge of attempted murder to be dropped. He had previously pleaded not guilty to both charges.

With both charges he faced a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison; with just the willful injury charge, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Winnebago County Attorney Robert Cooper said no agreement had been worked out for Winter’s sentence. There will next be a pre-sentence investigation because the charge is a felony.

The sentencing date has not yet been scheduled, Cooper said.

Winter was arrested April 10, about three hours away from Winnebago County. He is accused of beating his mother, Cynthia Winter, in the head with a hammer at their home at 311 N. Grant St. in Lake Mills.

According to Winnebago County court records, an officer responding to the 911 call at the Winter home described Cynthia Winter as having a large bruise on the side of her face and bleeding profusely.

The officer stated when she turned around, he witnessed, “a severe wound on the back of her head with muscle and skull exposed,” according to documents.

The mother told the officer that her son had struck her several times with an unknown object, documents state.

Officers later discovered a hammer covered with blood, hair and skin.

Cynthia Winter, 63, died in her home Sept. 28 from natural causes.

Though there was earlier question about whether charges would be amended for her death, the medical examiner’s report found that her death was not related to the alleged assault.

Winnebago County District Court Judge Colleen Weiland found Winter competent to stand trial Dec. 3, after Winter requested the judge do so.

At that hearing, his lawyer asked him a series of questions — including whether he understood the charges against him, if he could explain the charges and what the possible penalties are if he’s found guilty of them.

He answered all the questions correctly.