Mother Stabs Daughter to Death in Texas Park: Police

A mother is alleged to have stabbed her daughter to death in a Texas park, according to police.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said Melissa Towne claimed to have killed her child at Spring Creek Park in Tomball on Sunday.

According to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, preliminary information suggested the child—possibly 5 or 6 years old—was stabbed by her mother and that the victim was transported to a nearby hospital shortly afterward.

An April Texas State Child Fatality Review Team Committee report found there were 2,851 child deaths due to "external causes, including accidental deaths, homicides and suicides" between 2017 and 2019.

The report noted that of those, 527 children aged 0 to 17 in Texas had "homicide" noted on their death certificates.

At a media briefing on Sunday, Sergeant Ben Beall said: "She notified hospital personnel that she had killed her daughter and that her daughter was in her gray Jeep Cherokee.

"The nurses came out, checked on her, and had a doctor come out. They pronounced the child dead at 12:10 p.m.

"Tomball Police Department originally responded to the scene. The mother said the incident occurred at Spring Creek Park, off Brown Road. Deputies went out there to see if they could find the homicide scene out there, they weren't able to locate anything."

Beall said the child had a wound to the neck, which was consistent with what the mother told hospital staff.

The mother was detained and transported to the homicide unit for questioning.

While police have not shared the suspect's name, they said she is a white 35-year-old woman.

In a statement sent to Newsweek, an HSCO spokesperson said: "The Harris County District Attorney's Office accepted a charge of Capital Murder against Melissa Towne and she was booked into the Harris County Jail."

Earlier this month, a grandmother and a toddler were fatally shot in a Georgia home, according to police.

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said Ursula Dietz, 64, and 19-month-old Elenor Dietz were shot dead at a home in 2617 Hilton Avenue in Columbus.

Bryan said Dietz's son, Kevin, who is also Elenor's uncle, had been taken into custody following the double shooting.

He said: "The Columbus Police Department, states he (Kevin) is a person of interest.
The motive for the homicides is still under investigation by the Columbus Police Department homicide division."

In another case this month, a toddler was fatally shot in front of his mother and siblings during a road rage incident in Chicago when someone in the backseat of a red sedan fired at the mother's car, with one of the bullets striking 3-year-old Mateo Zastro in the head.