Mother, 29, arrested after son, 14, allegedly beaten to death for failing to do chores

The death of a 14-year-old boy at a South Seattle home has prompted an investigation led by the Seattle Police Department (SPD).

SPD officers initially responded to a domestic violence incident in the 4000 block of 14th Avenue S. just after 2:15 p.m. Jan. 30. The domestic violence altercation involved the 14-year-old child and his mother.

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When they arrived at the home, they found the child, who was unresponsive and suffering from multiple injuries. Despite the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) providing emergency medical aid at the scene, the 14-year-old boy died after he was transported to Harborview Medical Center. He was in critical condition when he arrived at the hospital, according to SPD.

According to police reports obtained by KOMO News, the mother, 29, told officers she cut and beat her teenage son until he died because she was angry that he didn’t do his chores.

“(The mother) stated she was spanking him with an extension cord, and it went too far,” a Seattle police officer wrote in a criminal report. “(The mother) stated that (her son) did not complete his chores, and she was angry. (The mother) told him it was ‘butt-cutting time.’ (The mother) ordered (the son) to remove his clothing and used an extension cord to strike him.”

The son allegedly fell limp after he was shoved against the wall. She continued to beat him for approximately one hour after he fell unconscious.

She was arrested on suspicion for murder and was booked into King County Jail.

SPD detectives with the Sexual Assault & Child Abuse Unit have been assigned to this case.

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Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest and producer of the Seattle Seahawks podcast, The Reset with Gee Scott. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.