An Athens, Ga., mother was stabbed to death on Thanksgiving Day 2017 by her 5-year-old son, police said Monday.
Alexandria Dewitt, 44, was stabbed multiple times in the neck on Thanksgiving Day by her son, Lawren Dewitt. She died after he was restrained by a family member.
In the weeks after the killing, Alexandria Dewitt’s husband, Gerald Dewitt, did not specify a motive for the killing, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
But, on Monday, police in Stone Mountain, Ga., which is located in DeKalb County, said in a probable cause affidavit that the husband told them that he had observed a change in his son’s behavior and believed the boy was responsible for the killing. Police said their interview with the father revealed that the boy had made statements about the killing, but they couldn’t verify them. The report did not give specifics.
Killed in the stabbing was Alexandria Dewitt’s adult son, 23-year-old Grant Dewitt.
Killed with mother was a caregiver to Grant’s 1-year-old daughter. Her name hasn’t been released.
Alexandria Dewitt’s pastor, the Rev. Joseph Bowen, said he and others were saddened to hear about the Nov. 22, 2017, killing.
“We pray for the family to have peace during this difficult time,” he said in a statement, adding that the church would serve as a “place for healing and a place to share the pain and grief surrounding this loss with others.”
DeKalb County Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
DeKalb County Police Detective David Shively wrote in the affidavit that the boy first approached two other children and directed them to the kitchen. The youngest child “appeared nervous” and ran off with the boy into the kitchen.
Shively said that the boy then returned to the kitchen and began stabbing Alexandria Dewitt with a kitchen knife. The boy then exited the kitchen and his parents heard shouts from a neighbor who informed them their son had killed their mother.
The neighbor told police they heard the boy yell, “I killed my mom,” and, “Didn’t you see my mom’s face?” The neighbor told police he chased the boy out of the house. When the neighbor caught up with the boy, he was handcuffed and restrained by his father until police arrived.
Police said Monday that no charges have been filed against the child.