A former television news anchor for Fox has been formally charged with the first-degree murder of her elderly mother after a gruesome discovery by police on Halloween.
A Grisly Halloween Discovery
Angelynn Mock, 48, was arrested in Wichita, Kansas, on October 31 following the alleged fatal stabbing of her 80-year-old mother, Anita Avers. The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office brought the formal charge of first-degree murder against Mock on Tuesday.
According to police reports, officers responded to the scene in the early hours of the morning. They allegedly discovered Mock standing outside the residence, covered in blood and with cuts on her hands.
Upon entering the home, officers found Anita Avers unresponsive in her bed. The elderly woman had sustained multiple stab wounds. First responders rushed Avers to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Neighbour Recounts Bloody Encounter
A neighbour, Alyssa Castro, witnessed the immediate aftermath of the incident. She reported that Mock approached her and her boyfriend's vehicle, visibly distressed and covered in blood.
"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," Castro told local news outlet KAKE.
The startled resident said Mock begged to use her boyfriend's mobile phone to contact the police, then ran back into the house with the device. The phone was later returned to him by officers. Castro recalled trying to help Mock, stating, "I asked her if she was okay, and she was pretty shaken up and she seemed scared, and she just ran off."
Mock was also taken to the hospital for unspecified treatment before being taken into police custody.
Career and Aftermath
Angelynn Mock had a career in broadcast journalism, working as an anchor and reporter for Missouri's St Louis local station Fox 2. Her LinkedIn profile indicates she was employed there from March 2011 to February 2015.
The victim, Anita Avers, was a respected marriage and family therapist at Wichita Counseling Professionals. She was beloved by her clients, one of whom described her as a compassionate and supportive presence.
Alexandra Brewer, a client, told KAKE, "She was just very warm, very loving, and had a way of just making you feel compassionate towards yourself... I just wish that everyone could see that part of Anita, not just this tragic ending."
Mock is currently being held at the Sedgwick County jail on a $1 million bond. Her next court hearing is scheduled for November 14.
