U.S. News - decapitation

Aug

2012

11:42am, EDT

Police: N.J. mom decapitated son, put head in freezer before killing herself

A New Jersey police say a mother killed her 2-year-old son and put his head in the freezer of their home before stabbing herself to death. WCAU's Marisa Brahney reports.

By Lauren DiSanto, NBCPhiladelphia.com

Updated at 12:45 p.m. ET: Police say a Camden, N.J., mother apparently decapitated her 2-year-old boy and put his head in the freezer of their home before she fatally stabbed herself.

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Chevonne Thomas, 33, called 911 just after midnight to say something had happened to her child, said Jason Laughlin, a spokesman for the county prosecutor's office, NBCPhiladelphia.com reported.

"The information they were receiving was very muddled, but it led them to believe there was a child that was in jeopardy," Laughlin said.

Officers immediately found Zahree Thomas' body on the first floor of the home and later found the boy's head in the freezer, NBCPhiladelphia.com reported.

NBCPhiladelphia.com

Police keep clear the scene of a murder-suicide in Camden, N.J.

The child's mother was upstairs still talking to the 911 operator when officers backed out of the home because they didn't know if she was armed, Laughlin said.

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The mother stabbed herself in the neck with a kitchen knife and died, Laughlin said.

During the 911 call she first accused her boyfriend of stabbing her child, then admitted repeatedly "I did it," Laughlin said.
Toxicology tests would be needed to determine if Thomas was high on drugs at the time, he said.

Camden police

Chevonne Thomas

The mother had lost custody of Zahree in 2010 after allegedly leaving him unattended in a car while she was blacked out in a nearby park from smoking PCP-laced marijuana, prosecutors told The Associated Press. She reclaimed custody of the child five months ago.

There was no immediate word on how long Thomas and the boy had lived at the address. Police don't believe anyone else was in the house.

Camden, which lies across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, has been plagued by poverty and high crime rates.

"Everybody here is very shaken up. One of the sergeant's from my office says it's one of the most grisly things he's seen on the job," said Laughlin.

Thomas leaves behind an 18-year-old child, according to prosecutors.

This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.

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Jul

2012

11:50am, EDT

Tennessee tattoo artist arrested for allegedly killing, decapitating adoptive father

By NBC News staff

A tattoo artist in Tennessee was arrested Friday for allegedly murdering, then decapitating his adoptive father.

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Henry James Baxter, 37, was charged with criminal homicide in the death of Erman Thompson, 49, the man who raised him. Baxter also allegedly was sleeping with Thompson's wife.

Police say Baxter confessed to killing Thompson and then decapitating the body before dumping it in a field near their home.

“During the argument, Mr. Baxter said he retrieved a pistol, shot the victim in the head, then took the body and placed it in a large trash can behind the home,” Metro Police Spokesman Don Aaron told NewsChannel5.com.

“On Monday night, according to Baxter, he retrieved the body from the trash can, borrowed a shovel, and in the cover of darkness decapitated the body,” Aaron said.

Henry Baxter, 37, is charged with criminal homicide for allegedly murdering, then decapitating his adoptive father in Tennessee last week.

Police believe Baxter wheeled the trash can to a nearby field, then dumped the body. A mail carrier on his lunch break discovered Thompson's decomposing corpse, which was later identified by tattoos. When police when to Baxter's address, he confessed to killing Thompson the previous Sunday.

Thompson’s wife, Ashly Thompson, said he began taking care of Baxter when he was a child. Baxter lived with Thompson, Ashly and three children – one of whom was fathered by Baxter. Police investigators suspect the two men were fighting over Ashly.

Police said Baxter told Ashly that her husband had abandoned the family.

Neighbor Gina Eubanks found Thompson's head and told NBC affiliate WSMV in Nashville that it came “rolling out” of a trash can when she went to take out the garbage.

“I’m angry, very, very angry and sad at the same time,” Ashly Thompson said. “I think the worst part of this is telling my kids they don’t have a daddy no more.”

Baxter is currently being held on $750,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court for the first time Wednesday.

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