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Former TV Anchor Pleads Guilty to Killing Her Mother on Halloween

The plea resolves earlier court questions about her fitness to stand trial, sending the case to an Oct. 5 sentencing where prosecutors seek life with parole eligibility after 25 years.

Overview

  • On Oct. 31, 2025, Wichita police found 80-year-old Anita Avers with multiple stab wounds and she was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
  • Late in August 2026, Angelynn Mock admitted guilt to one count of first-degree murder for the Halloween killing and waived a jury trial by entering the plea.
  • A probable-cause affidavit says Mock told police she believed her mother was 'the devil,' that she had to kill her, and that she used multiple knives during the attack while officers found cuts on Mock's hands.
  • Court records show Mock has a history of psychiatric diagnoses, including schizoaffective disorder, and a judge first found her incompetent in January before a later ruling in July restored her competency to proceed.
  • Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 5, 2026, under a plea deal in which prosecutors recommend life with parole eligibility after 25 years and Mock agreed to pay restitution and forensic lab fees, a resolution that moves the case away from a contested trial and toward final judgment.