A polished TV news anchor who once delivered the morning news to thousands now sits in a psychiatric hospital, deemed too mentally unstable to stand trial for allegedly stabbing her 80-year-old mother to death on Halloween while claiming her mother was “the devil.”
Story Snapshot
- Former news anchor Angelynn Mock, 48, charged with first-degree murder for stabbing her mother Anita Avers to death
- Mock told 911 dispatchers “I had to stab her mother to save herself” and believed her mother was the devil
- Judge ruled Mock mentally incompetent for trial, ordering her to a state psychiatric hospital
- Mock has a documented history of schizoaffective disorder involving delusions and depression
- The Halloween morning attack occurred in their shared Wichita, Kansas home
From Morning News to Morning Nightmare
Angelynn “Angie” Mock spent years as the trusted face delivering morning news to viewers across St. Louis and Oklahoma City. Her polished on-screen presence at KTVI St. Louis from 2011-2015 and later at KOKH Oklahoma City painted the picture of a successful media professional. Yet beneath that camera-ready smile lurked a devastating mental health condition that would ultimately shatter two lives forever.
The 48-year-old former anchor was living with her 80-year-old mother, Anita Avers, a respected therapist praised by community members. Mock had transitioned from broadcasting to a sales position at a data firm, but her schizoaffective disorder diagnosis created an underlying volatility that her stepfather later revealed to investigators. The condition, characterized by delusions and severe depression, would prove to be the dark undercurrent of this family tragedy.
A Halloween Horror Story
October 31, 2025, began like any other morning in their Wichita home until around 7:50 a.m. when police received a chilling 911 call. Mock, covered in blood with cuts on her hands, had approached a neighbor and used their phone to call for help. Her words to dispatchers revealed the depth of her delusion: she claimed she “had to stab her mother to save herself” and made statements suggesting she believed her mother was the devil.
Inside the home, police discovered Avers stabbed multiple times in her bed. The elderly therapist was rushed to a hospital but died from her wounds. Mock was arrested after receiving medical treatment for her injuries, but her bizarre behavior and statements immediately raised questions about her mental state. The Halloween timing of this matricidal attack added an eerie backdrop to an already shocking crime.
The Courtroom Smile That Chilled Observers
Mock’s first court appearance on November 7, 2025, provided another unsettling glimpse into her deteriorating mental condition. Despite facing first-degree premeditated murder charges, Mock smiled for cameras in what observers described as an inappropriate and disconnected response to the gravity of her situation. The prosecution pursued the most serious charges possible, suggesting they believed Mock’s actions were calculated rather than purely impulsive.
However, defense attorneys quickly moved for competency evaluations, arguing there was “good basis” for questioning Mock’s ability to understand the proceedings against her. The court set her bond at $1 million and issued a no-contact order with her stepfather, who had provided crucial information about Mock’s psychiatric history to investigators. These early legal maneuvers foreshadowed the competency battle that would ultimately halt the case.
When Justice Waits for Sanity
Judge Jeffrey Goering’s recent ruling that Mock is mentally unfit for trial represents a significant legal development that effectively freezes the case indefinitely. The decision, following evaluations that began in November 2025, means Mock will be transferred to a state psychiatric hospital for treatment and evaluation. This legal pause doesn’t dismiss the charges but acknowledges the fundamental principle that defendants must understand the proceedings against them.
The prosecutor’s office made clear that incompetency doesn’t free Mock or dismiss the murder charges. If and when she’s deemed competent, the first-degree murder case will resume. This creates an uncertain timeline for justice, as competency restoration can take months or even years, and some defendants never regain the mental capacity required for trial. For Avers’ family and the community, this means the search for closure and accountability enters an indefinite holding pattern.
Sources:
Fox News: Former news anchor accused of killing mother incompetent for trial, judge rules
