A former St. Louis television news anchor is facing serious criminal charges after allegedly stabbing her 80-year-old mother to death on Halloween morning. Police in Wichita, Kansas, say 40-year-old Angelynn Mock was taken into custody after a chaotic scene that left her mother, Anita Avers, fatally injured inside their suburban home.
According to police reports, officers responded shortly before 8 a.m. on Friday after multiple 911 calls described a woman covered in blood wandering the street and pleading for help. When officers arrived, they discovered Mock outside the residence, appearing disoriented and “drenched in blood,” according to witness statements and official reports.
Neighbor Alyssa Castro told local station KAKE that she and her husband were driving through the neighborhood when Mock approached their car in distress. “There was a woman who approached our vehicle with like blood — like her hands were filled, her body was filled with blood — asking to call 911,” Castro said. She added that Mock then grabbed her phone and ran back inside the home.
Moments later, according to dispatch records, Mock allegedly called 911 herself, telling operators that she had “stabbed [her] mother to save herself.” Police say that statement was logged during the emergency call made from inside the residence. When officers entered the home, they found 80-year-old Anita Avers unresponsive in her bed with what investigators described as “multiple stab wounds.” First responders immediately began life-saving measures, and Avers was rushed to a local hospital. She was pronounced dead approximately 30 minutes later.
Mock was arrested at the scene and later booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on charges of first-degree murder. Her bond has been set at $1 million, according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities have not released details about what may have led up to the stabbing, though investigators are reportedly reviewing 911 audio, text messages, and possible mental health factors. Police have not disclosed whether there were any prior domestic disturbance calls to the residence.
Anita Avers, the victim, was well known in the Wichita area as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She worked at Wichita Counseling Professionals, where she had spent decades helping clients and mentoring younger therapists. Colleagues described her as a kind, patient counselor who had dedicated her life to supporting others through difficult times.
Mock had built her own career in media and communications. She was previously employed as a morning and evening fill-in anchor for St. Louis’s Fox 2 (KTVI) from 2011 to 2015, where she covered a range of community and lifestyle stories. After leaving broadcast journalism, she transitioned into the private sector, taking on communications and consulting roles, according to her professional biography.
Former tv news anchor arrested in death of her mother https://t.co/ZIgUvBe0iK — Angie Mock, 47, was a longtime tv News anchor/reporter in St Louis, OKC… #JoplinNewsFirst pic.twitter.com/isVzcyYU1r
— Joplin News First (@JoplinNewsFirst) November 3, 2025
The alleged crime has shocked both the Wichita and St. Louis communities, where Mock was remembered by former coworkers as an ambitious and friendly journalist. Police have not released any indication of motive beyond her reported claim to dispatchers that she acted “to save herself.” Investigators are still piecing together the sequence of events leading up to the tragedy.
Mock remains in custody as the investigation continues. A preliminary hearing date has not yet been announced. If convicted, she could face life in prison.
Authorities have urged the public to allow the judicial process to unfold and to remember that Mock, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Meanwhile, the Wichita neighborhood where the incident occurred continues to grieve. Neighbors have placed flowers outside the family’s home in memory of Avers, whose life and work touched many in the local counseling community.
