A Texas woman was charged with murder Monday after authorities alleged she admitted to fatally stabbing her 5-year-old daughter in the neck at a park and wrapping her in bags.
Melissa White Towne, 37, was booked in the Harris County Jail after she drove to a hospital emergency room Sunday and told staff she had killed her daughter, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
When a nurse opened the car door, she reportedly found Towne’s daughter partially wrapped in plastic and mesh bags. When workers further inspected the girl, they reportedly discovered her throat had been cut and she had been strangled.
The child was unresponsive and had a laceration and possible ligature marks on her neck, said Gonzalez. The girl was pronounced dead at 12:10 p.m. on Sunday.
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Gonzalez said the incident occurred around noon Sunday at Spring Creek Park in Tomball, which is about 40 minutes northwest of Houston.
Towne was reportedly still going through the booking process when she was scheduled to appear in probable cause court, but her charges were still read and prosecutors revealed more details, according to local ABC 13.
“She said she wanted to dispose of the complainant, so she decided to take her to a hospital. The defendant stated she wanted to end the complainant’s life because she was an evil child and did not want to deal with her anymore,” prosecutors read in court.
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Prosecutors further revealed in court that the 5-year-old girl allegedly screamed “I’ve been good” while her mother strangled her. Towne reportedly confessed to officials that she slit her daughter’s throat before strangling her for 30 to 40 minutes.
Authorities say it remains unclear if there were any witnesses, but confirmed that the child did not die inside Towne’s vehicle. Officials reportedly found a knife on Towne when they searched her. Authorities said she has a history of homelessness.
The probable cause magistrate judge set Towne’s bond at $15 million.
