Illinois – An Illinois parent was arrested last week after police say she kiIIed her chiId, J. WaIIace, and severely injured his older sibIings with a large bIade before igniting a fire in the family’s home. She appeared in court on Sunday, facing fourteen felony counts including first‑degree murder, two counts of attempted first‑degree murder, multiple counts of aggravated arson, and aggravated battery.
According to prosecutors, the defendant launched the attack inside the family’s residence in Illinois. As one of her children, 10, played video games and the 4‑year‑old victim lay sleeping, she attacked the elder boy first, stabbing him in the arm. The child fled toward the basement, followed by his younger sibling. The defendant then kicked the 4‑year‑old down the stairs and stabbed him thirty six times in the face, chest, and back, leading to his immediate death at the scene.
The defendant subsequently confronted her daughter, 13, in the basement, stabbing her multiple times in the face, neck, chest, and back. Terrified, the siblings coordinated through a shared wall and the 13‑year‑old called 911, telling dispatchers their mother was trying to kill them.
While the fire spread rapidly throughout the structure, the 10‑year‑old escaped via a window; officers broke in to rescue the unconscious 13‑year‑old and the body of the youngest victim. Smoke from the blaze continued to fill the home as firefighters and police evacuated three officers and two neighboring residents suffering from smoke inhalation .
During her arrest, officers found the defendant covered in bIood, holding a large bIade in one hand and a flaming paper towel in the other. In interviews, she confessed to the attacks, stating she believed her children were “posessed by the deviI.” Investigators also discovered lighter fluid and rubbing alcohol in the home—used to set multiple fires around the first floor—intended to trap the children inside the burning building.
Court documents and media reports indicate the parent has no prior criminal record. Her defense lawyer informed the court she has a history of mental illness—diagnosed schizophrenia—and was also battling cancer. The defendant was taken to a medical facility for psychiatric and physical evaluation following her arrest. The presiding judge described her actions as pure evil and ruled she must remain held pending trial, citing a clear and present danger to her children, first responders, and neighbors.
At the hospital, the 13‑year‑old daughter remains in critical condition and intubated after undergoing multiple surgeries; the 10‑year‑old son was treated for a serious arm wound and released. The medical examiner confirmed the 4‑year‑old died from multiple stab wounds.
The case remains under active investigation. The defendant’s next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, with prosecution and defense likely to request detailed mental and physical health evaluations to further inform pretrial proceedings.
