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A former television news anchor has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of her 80-year-old mother on Halloween morning in southeast Wichita, according to Kansas police and court records
Authorities identified the suspect as Angelynn Elizabeth Mock, 47, who was taken into custody after officers responded to a reported cutting at a residence in the 1500 block of East Crowley around 7:52 a.m. on Oct. 31, the Wichita Police Department said in a statement.
When officers arrived, they found Mock outside the home and discovered her mother, Anita Avers, unresponsive in her bed with multiple stab wounds. Emergency medical personnel transported Avers to Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 8:26 a.m., police said.
“Right now, we believe it was a domestic-type situation inside the residence,” Police Capt. Roderick Miller told The Wichita Eagle.
Mock was also taken to the hospital for treatment before being booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder. She remains in custody on a $1 million bond.
Prosecutors charged Mock on Tuesday with one count of intentional and premeditated first-degree murder. She appeared in court the same day, where the charge was read and a bond was formally set. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 14.
The Wichita Police Department said the case remains under investigation. A motive for the killing has not been released.
Avers was known locally as a marriage and family therapist at Wichita Counseling Professionals, according to public records and community sources.
Mock previously worked as a reporter and anchor for Fox 2 in St. Louis from 2011 to 2015, according to her publicly available LinkedIn profile, which describes her as a “veteran broadcast journalist with 12 years of experience.” The profile also indicates that she most recently worked in data management consulting, where she sold “software and cloud-based solutions to companies who want to get ahead of the competition by minimizing their overall workload and gaining valuable productivity.”
Her volunteer work entailed emceeing at multiple non-profits, including the American Heart Association, Alzheimer’s Association, American Diabetes Association, The ALS Association, and The Adoption Exchange.
Police said no one else was injured during the incident, and there is no ongoing threat to the public.
A memorial service for Avers will be held on Nov. 8 at Clearwater Community Church.
“Anita had many artistic and creative skills, and especially liked to knit and cook. She had a passion for counseling and believed that was her special gift she could give to others,” according to her obituary.
Haika Mrema is a freelance entertainment reporter for The Epoch Times. She is an experienced writer and has covered entertainment and higher-education content for platforms such as Campus Reform and Media Research Center. She holds a B.B.A. from Baylor University where she majored in marketing.
