A former St. Louis television anchor was reportedly arrested in Kansas on suspicion of fatally stabbing her 80-year-old mother on Halloween morning, a shocking crime that has stunned two Midwestern communities and raised questions about mental health and accountability in an age of increasing personal turmoil.
Authorities in Wichita say that Angelynn Mock, who previously worked for Fox 2 in St. Louis, was found covered in blood outside a suburban home shortly before 8 a.m. Friday. Neighbors described a chaotic and disturbing scene in an otherwise quiet neighborhood.
“There was a woman who approached our vehicle with like blood, like her hands were filled, her body was filled with blood, asking to call 911,” said Alyssa Castro, a nearby resident who encountered Mock that morning. Castro told local outlet KAKE that the woman “took her phone and bolted back inside the house,” where police say Mock called emergency services and confessed to having “stabbed [her] mother to save herself,” according to Sedgwick County dispatch records.
When officers entered the home, they discovered Mock’s mother, identified as Anita Avers, “unresponsive in her bed with multiple stab wounds.” Avers was transported to a hospital but was pronounced dead roughly 30 minutes later.
Mock, 47, was taken into custody at the scene and is being held at the Sedgwick County Jail on a charge of first-degree murder. Her bond has been set at $1 million, according to jail records cited by the New York Post.
Avers, a longtime marriage and family therapist, worked at Wichita Counseling Professionals, where she was described as dedicated to helping families navigate personal and emotional challenges. Friends and neighbors said the news of her death was both shocking and deeply saddening.
Mock’s own career once placed her in front of cameras delivering the news rather than becoming the subject of it. She worked as a morning and evening fill-in anchor at KTVI Fox 2 in St. Louis between 2011 and 2015 before leaving journalism for private sector work.
The violent turn of events has left many struggling to reconcile the image of a polished media professional with the grim details described in the police reports. It also comes at a time when local authorities and faith leaders in Kansas have been emphasizing the need for stronger community and family connections amid rising rates of isolation, depression, and crime across the country.
As details continue to emerge, the case underscores the tragic consequences that can unfold when personal crises erupt into violence. Wichita police have not released additional information about Mock’s motive beyond what was relayed to dispatchers, and it remains unclear whether mental health issues played a role.
For now, the tight-knit Wichita neighborhood where the killing occurred remains in shock, grappling with the brutal reality that, on a morning meant for children’s costumes and candy, a life ended in bloodshed behind closed doors.
Mock remains in custody as prosecutors prepare formal charges, while the community mourns a mother, counselor, and neighbor whose life was taken in a moment of inexplicable violence.
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