A former news anchor charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 80-year-old mother had a history of mental health issues, according to court documents.
Angelynn Mock is accused of stabbing her mother, Anita Avers, multiple times on the morning of Halloween. Mock claimed it was self-defense.
According to the probable cause affidavit, a neighbor reported seeing Mock run out of her family’s home on East Crowley with blood on her hands. He said Mock banged on his truck and asked him to call 911. The neighbor, who only speaks Spanish, said he understood the word “police,” called 911, and then gave Angelynn his phone.
The man said he ran inside his own home to tell his girlfriend, who speaks English, to go outside and talk to Mock. When they went back outside, they said Mock was in the man’s truck, calling 911.
Police arrived on the scene and found Mock outside the home with blood on her hands and holding a towel.
Investigation reveals multiple weapons
The first responding officer went into the home to render aid. She found a bloody cell phone on the kitchen sink and a clean kitchen knife on the kitchen floor. She also found a large butcher knife with blood on it and a cell phone on a coffee table in the living room.
In a bedroom, the officer found Anita Avers lying on her back in bed. She had multiple stab wounds to her head, face and torso. The officer also observed “multiple kitchen-style knives and a cheese grater, laid out on a pillow.” There were droplets of blood throughout the home, but the main pooling was found on the bed where Avers was lying down.
Avers was taken to the hospital in very critical condition. She died from her injuries a short time later. Her manner of death has been ruled a homicide.
Conflicting accounts from suspect
When police interviewed Mock about what had happened, she first told them that she went into her mother’s room to talk and saw her sharpening knives.
“Her mother came after her with a knife and fought her,” reads the affidavit. “Angelynn was strong so she pushed her back. Her mother then said, ‘I know you’re f***ing Jesus Christ,’ so she backed away. Her mother followed her, so she went around her, grabbed a knife and got on top of her. Angelynn said her mother started spewing venom out of her f***ing mouth, so she stabbed her to save herself.”
Later, Angelynn told police that she went into her mother’s bedroom to talk to her about an upcoming job interview at a local news station because she was a news anchor. She said her mother was sharpening knives with bigger knives. She said her mother told her she was jealous and did not want her to get the job.
“Angelynn said she ran around the house being chased by Anita and believed Anita was going to kill her. She said, ‘I had to kill her, she wasn’t going to stop,’” the affidavit continues.
Angelynn said she stabbed first, but later said her mother stabbed first.
Mental health history detailed
Anita’s husband, Barry Avers, was at work when the deadly stabbing occurred. He told police that Angelynn was his stepdaughter and Anita’s biological daughter.
Barry confirmed that Angelynn was previously “a news anchor in St. Louis, Missouri, before being laid off after an explosive situation involving alcohol.”
Barry said Angelynn moved in with him and Anita four to five years ago. At that time, he said Anita encouraged Angelynn to seek treatment from a psychologist or psychiatrist. He said Angelynn had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which was later revised to a schizoaffective disorder.
Barry said he knew Angelynn had “bouts of delusions mixed with periods of depression.” To his knowledge, Angelynn was on medication, but he did not know what type and only assumed she took it as prescribed.
Barry said Angelynn also had angry outbursts, but he never felt she was violent or felt threatened.
Barry described Anita and Angelynn’s relationship as “back-and-forth,” but like most mothers and daughters. He said they were close. He said that several years ago, Angelynn had an explosive outburst where police were called, which resulted in Angelynn being held at the hospital “for psychiatric reasons” for about two weeks.
Previous incidents documented
Barry said the last outburst was three to four weeks prior to the deadly stabbing, when Angelynn yelled at the family during a car game.
“She accused the family of hating her and said she hated everyone,” the affidavit reads.
Barry recalled “multiple times when Angelynn would be in a delusional state. She would say, ‘They’re all robots,’ and ‘They’re not real people.’”
He also said she claimed to be spiritual and to talk to God, claiming to be the Anti-Christ.
“Angelynn would get angry, saying, ‘People don’t understand. These things are real. They don’t like me and don’t want me,’” the affidavit reads.
On one occasion, Barry said Angelynn said, “‘I could blow everyone up if I needed to.’ Usually these statements were made while Angelynn was on her stationary bicycle.”
The night before the deadly stabbing, Barry said he went to bed before 11 p.m., and Anita followed a short time later. Barry recalled hearing Anita and Angelynn having a conversation before he went to bed, but he thought it sounded normal and cordial.
Barry confirmed that the family kept several sharp knives “on a magnetic strip affixed to the outside of the pantry cabinet in the kitchen.” He said all of the knives should’ve been there, and the cheese grater should’ve been in the kitchen drawer below where the knives are kept.
Barry said he left for work, Anita was asleep, and Angelynn was in her room awake, talking and laughing.
Suspect treated for injuries
Angelynn was taken to Ascension Via Christi St. Francis, where she was treated for six lacerations to her left hand, two to her right hand, and one to her inner right arm.
After she was discharged from the hospital, Angelynn was taken to the Wichita Police Department’s Investigation Section, where she was allowed to contact her lawyer.
“While inside the interview room, Angelynn made multiple statements, talking to herself, where she believed her mother was the devil. She said, ‘I’d kill that bi*** to have my mom back any day. I don’t even know who she is anymore. I know, I believe she’s the devil,’” according to the affidavit.
Mock is currently charged with first-degree murder in her mother’s death. She’s currently being held on a $1 million bond, and a competency evaluation has been ordered.
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