A mother has been arrested for stabbing her five-year-old daughter to death with a kitchen knife in a bid to hurt her former partner.
The suspect has been named as Menokka Karr Nealy, 29, and she was taken into custody by police in Cleveland in the US state of Ohio before being presented before a judge on Monday, 14th February.
The mother, who is reportedly an aspiring singer, faces charges of murder and assault over the death of her five-year-old daughter E’Nijah Noelle Holland.
She reportedly entered a not guilty plea at a hearing on Monday, with her bond set at USD 2 million (GBP 1.47 million).
The brutal murder occurred after Gregory Holland, 29, the young girl’s father, called the police to ask for a welfare check. This is around the same time, according to reports, that the girl’s grandmother, named as Joy Holland, also called the authorities after speaking to the suspect on FaceTime.
The father allegedly told the police on the phone that the suspect had just told him that she had stabbed their daughter.
And the young girl’s grandmother told the police that her FaceTime conversation with the suspect had proved to be extremely disturbing, with the suspect allegedly taunting her about the young girl’s death.
Joy reportedly said: “I was calling my grandbaby to tell her that I bought her a gift that she asked me to buy her and as soon as I called her mother said, ‘she’s dead, and God’s coming to get you’.”
Joy reportedly called the police as soon as the call ended to request a welfare check at the home at the Southgate Towers Apartment Complex located in the 5300 block of Northfield Road.
Police officers responding to the scene found the young girl lying on the floor in one of the bedrooms in a pool of blood.
She had reportedly sustained multiple injuries to her chest area that were consistent with a bladed weapon.
E’Nijah was pronounced dead at the scene by medics from the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Sergeant Robert Major of the Bedford Heights Police Department said: “Our hearts go out to the family, especially the child’s father. I couldn’t imagine what he’s going through right now.”
The police investigation of the incident is ongoing and the authorities have yet to reveal more details about the suspected motive.
