Ex-TV Anchor Pleads Guilty to Stabbing Mother to Death in Wichita Bedroom

Angelynn Mock, 48, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for fatally stabbing her 80-year-old mother in their Wichita, Kansas home. She faces a life sentence at her Oct. 5 hearing.

Former St. Louis News Anchor Admits Killing Mother in Kansas Home

A former television news anchor faces a life prison term after pleading guilty to stabbing her 80-year-old mother to death inside their Wichita, Kansas home, Law & Crime reports.

Angelynn Mock, 48, entered a guilty plea to first-degree murder in the death of Anita Avers, prosecutors announced in a press release. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 5. Under Kansas law, Mock will be eligible for parole after serving 25 years.

Officers found Mock covered in blood outside the home

Police responded shortly before 8 a.m. on Oct. 31 to a residence in the 1500 block of East Crowley. Mock was standing outside, covered in blood, when officers arrived. Inside, they found Avers unresponsive in her bed, suffering from multiple stab wounds. She was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead.

A probable cause arrest affidavit described blood throughout the home. Several knives and a cheese grater were found on a pillow next to the victim's body.

Mock told investigators she had come to the home to speak with her mother about a potential job. She claimed her mother was sharpening knives in bed and attacked her first, saying "I know you're f—ing Jesus Christ." Mock said she fought her mother off and grabbed a knife of her own.

"Angelynn said her mother 'started spewing venom at me out of her f—ing mouth,' so she had to stab her to save herself," detectives wrote in the affidavit.

Investigators noted Mock was inconsistent about who attacked whom first. She requested an attorney, and the interview ended. She had several lacerations on her hand and received hospital treatment.

Competency hearings delayed the case for months

Mock's case was complicated by mental health concerns from the outset. Judge Jeff Goering declared her incompetent to stand trial in January and ordered her hospitalized for competency restoration. Last month, based on a physician's most recent evaluation, Goering determined Mock was competent to proceed.

Avers' husband and Mock's stepfather, who was at work at the time of the killing, spoke with investigators about Mock's history. He said she had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a condition combining schizophrenia and mood disorder symptoms, and had previously been hospitalized in a psychiatric facility. Mock sometimes experienced delusional episodes, telling people "they're all robots" and "they're not real people," according to the affidavit.

The stepfather said Mock had lost her job at a local television news station, where she worked as an anchor, following an "explosive situation involving alcohol." He described her relationship with her mother as "back-and-forth" but said the two were close, and that Mock was taking her medication as far as he knew. He reported nothing out of the ordinary the night before the killing, and said his wife was in bed when he left for work.

While in custody, Mock reportedly made several statements to herself, referring to her mother as the devil.

"I'd kill that b— to have my mom back any day," she allegedly said. "I don't even know who she is anymore. I know, I believe she is the devil."

A neighbor described the scene moments after the stabbing

Local ABC affiliate KAKE obtained audio from 911 dispatchers indicating Mock claimed self-defense when she called for help.

"Calling party stabbed the mother to save herself," dispatchers reportedly said.

A neighbor, Alyssa Castro, told KAKE that Mock approached her car with blood covering her hands and body, asking to call 911. Castro's boyfriend handed Mock his phone, and she ran back inside the home.

"I asked her if she was OK, and she was pretty shaken up and she seemed scared, and she just ran off," Castro said.

According to local CBS affiliate KMOV, Mock previously worked as a morning anchor at KTVI, the Fox affiliate in St. Louis, between 2011 and 2015.

Victim was a licensed family therapist with two decades of experience

Avers was a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist with approximately 20 years of professional experience, according to Wichita Counseling Professionals. Her biography noted she specialized in treating adults with depression, anxiety, trauma, and mood disorders, as well as relationship and family issues.

Source: Law & Crime