A Michigan mother admitted to giving her teenage son a “mind-altering substance” and fatally stabbing him the day before his 18th birthday to help him achieve what she called a “death wish.”
Katie Austin Lee, 40, of Holland, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, torture, and assaulting, resisting, and obstructing a police officer in the stabbing death of her 17-year-old son, Austin Dean Pikaart, according to online court records.
Lee sobbed as she acknowledged to giving her son a “drug or sedative” before slicing his wrist and throat, according to a video shown on Fox17.
Lee was scheduled to stand trial, but he reached a plea agreement with prosecutors before the proceedings began, according to MLive.com.
As part of the plea agreement, she faces 60 to 90 years in prison when she is sentenced on January 19. She was first charged with first-degree murder, punishable by life in jail without the possibility of parole.
During the hearing, Ottawa County Circuit Judge Jon Hulsing informed her that if he accepted her plea, she would not be eligible for parole until she was “over 100.” “Do you understand?” According to a video of the hearing aired on Fox 17.
She said yes, crying as she spoke.
As previously reported, the brutal murder was brought to authorities’ attention at 4:15 a.m. on Feb. 21, when Lee contacted 911 to report a stabbing at her unit in the Bay Pointe Apartments, according to a news release from the Holland, Mich., Department of Public Safety.
According to a transcript of the hearing, “the caller Katie Lee told dispatch that she couldn’t get her son to stop breathing,” Det. Sgt. Brent Sluiter stated in warrants.
The dispatcher inquired, “He won’t stop what?” According to the warrant received by WZZM.
According to the warrant, she informed the dispatcher that she “had been trying to for a while” to stop his breathing. He requested her to do this “because he did not want to turn 18,” she said.
When authorities arrived to her residence, they were “immediately confronted” by Lee, who was allegedly wielding a knife, according to the warrant obtained by WZZM.
Lee refused to drop the knife, so officers used a Taser on her before apprehending her, according to the report.
Officers discovered her son’s body inside the apartment, and an autopsy revealed that he died from a major cut to his throat, according to the warrant, WZZM reported.
She told authorities to murder her “so she could be with her son,” according to the warrant obtained by WZZM.
Alisa Pikaart wrote on a GoFundMe page that her nephew was “caring, humorous, playful, and most of all, loved and cared for his family and friends.”
“He loved video games and anything’space’ or ‘galaxy’ oriented, and eventually we hope to blast his ashes into space on an actual rocket ship for his final destination! It was a privilege to know him, and he will be much missed.”
