WICHITA, KS – A former television news anchor is behind bars after authorities allege she fatally stabbed her elderly mother in a Wichita home Friday morning.
Police responded to a residence in the 1500 block of East Crowley shortly before 8 a.m., where they encountered Angelynn Mock, 47, standing outside the house. Upon entering, officers discovered Mock’s mother, 80-year-old Anita Avers, unresponsive in her bedroom and suffering from multiple stab wounds. Emergency personnel transported Avers to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators say Mock called 911 herself, claiming the stabbing was done in self-defense. Audio dispatch records indicate the emergency call referenced Mock, stating she had stabbed her mother to protect herself.
Neighbors recounted chaotic moments leading up to the police arrival. Alyssa Castro, who lives nearby, said she was in her car with her boyfriend when Mock approached them, her body and hands covered in blood, pleading to use a phone to contact emergency services. Castro said Mock took her boyfriend’s phone and ran back inside the house before officers arrived.
Mock was taken into custody at the scene and transported to a hospital for evaluation before being booked into the Sedgwick County Jail. She now faces a first-degree murder charge and remains held on a $1 million bond.
Prior to the incident, Mock held a public profile as a former morning news anchor in St. Louis, working with a major station between 2011 and 2015. Her sudden alleged involvement in a violent crime has shocked those familiar with her media career.
Anita Avers, the victim, had a long career as a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist. She was known for her two decades of work treating adult patients coping with depression, trauma, anxiety, and mood disorders, frequently working with couples and families facing relationship challenges.
Authorities have not provided further details on the events leading up to the fatal incident, and it remains unclear what prompted the confrontation between mother and daughter.
Police continue to investigate the case, and no additional suspects are being sought. A court date for Mock has not yet been announced.
The community remains stunned by the incident, as investigators work to unravel the circumstances that led to the tragic death of a prominent local therapist.