A Florida mother allegedly fatally stabbed her six-year-old daughter after her parental rights were terminated.
What We Know:
- Purkanah Mayo, 36, is incarcerated without bond for allegedly fatally stabbing her daughter Atarah, 6. According to the Florida Department of Children and Families, before the occurrence, Mayo’s parental rights were stripped and at the time of the attack, Mayo visited the child’s home that was in the area of 1800 New Haven Road. There were six others in the house, one of them being another child slightly older than Atarah and unharmed, and under the protection of DCF. It is unclear whether the other child and Atarah were related.
- In the house, Atarah was stabbed multiple times with a kitchen knife and Mayo stabbed herself, both were sent to the hospital where the child died from her injuries on Aug. 19th. Mayo spent a few days in the hospital and was treated for her self-inflicted wounds before being discharged on Friday. Mayo appeared in court on Saturday where she was charged with second-degree murder. She has not made a plea yet. Authorities have not revealed the motive in the killing of the little girl but Mayo is due back in court on Sept. 21st.
- Casandra Shimano, who is a local Arlington resident, was surprised that there was a murder in the neighborhood. “I let my kids play here,” she said. “We’ve got a basketball hoop out front. We know most of the neighbors in the neighborhood. Generally speaking, this is a really quiet neighborhood (with) much older people.”
A GoFundMe was created to help the family with funeral expenses. The organizer of the fundraiser, Paige Savitz, described Atarah as a “bright young girl, with a contagious smile and a huge heart” and asked for others to keep the family in their prayers. The campaign has raised over $9,000 and the goal is to raise $10,000.
