Suvechha Sarkar
Laverne Katherine Parsons, lovingly known as Kay, was a devoted mother and a loving wife. However, on a quiet morning in March 2009, the community of Grovetown, Georgia, was shaken to its core when she was found brutally attacked in her home and passed away the following day. Initially, investigators considered it a tragic home invasion, but it soon uncovered a tale of betrayal and planned violence. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Mother, May I Murder?: Suburban Psycho’ focuses on this case and a horrific plot by someone she trusted. It also features interviews with the neighbors and the officials who helped serve justice.
Kay Parsons Succumbed to Her Injuries a Day After the Attack
On February 11, 1968, Arthur R and Mabel Catherine Sanner welcomed their beautiful daughter, Laverne Katherine Sanner, into this world in Connellsville, in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. She arrived as a bundle of joy and was fondly known as Kay. Growing up, she received the love of her parents and was close with her sisters, Elma, Olive, and Mary Agnes, and her brothers, Kenny, Chuck, and Arthur Jr. During her time in Laurel Highlands High School, she met David R. Parsons, and they quickly became close. Within a few years after her graduation in 1987, Kay and David tied the knot. They were overjoyed when they welcomed their son, Derek, into their lives. Since David was in the army, Kay was a devoted army wife. She was a supportive baseball mom, always cheering for her son with pride.
A woman of immense faith, Kay’s life revolved around her family. She lived with her family at their 229 Hot Springs Drive residence in Grovetown, Georgia. Everything seemed to be going well, but her life turned upside down on March 25, 2009. As usual, she took Derek to school and returned home, where she was supposed to meet the handyman, Mitchell Cozart, for work. He reached her residence around 8:45 am, and when he checked the back door, he found it completely shattered. He quickly called 911. When officials arrived, they found the back door glass was completely broken and the house was ransacked, with drawers pulled out and mattresses toppled over.
When detectives began cleaning the area, they noticed a large amount of blood on the floor and the walls, indicating signs of a struggle. Upon opening the garage door, they horrifically found Kay in a pool of blood next to her car, with a bloody baseball bat and a claw hammer nearby. They discovered that she was severely beaten but had a faint heartbeat. Kay was quickly rushed to the hospital, but she was reportedly declared brain dead. That same day, officials found that her neighboring house was also ransacked. Although they discovered no one was at home at the time, they found a little blood on their back door. On March 26, 2009, Kay passed away after she succumbed to her injuries.
A Secret Affair Was Uncovered as the Possible Motive Behind the Murder
When investigators found blood on the back door of Kay’s neighbor’s house, it raised suspicions. They learned it was the house of Rebecca Sears, AKA Becky, whose family was quite close to Kay’s. During the attack, David was in California, and he rushed back home. The police questioned the handyman, Mitchell, who informed them that he saw a boy sitting across the street when he was at Kay’s house. The person was identified as one of Becky’s sons, Michael Bowers. When his shoes were checked, they found a shard of glass similar to the one in Kay’s home beneath them. However, he was later released without any charges. The following day, officials received a 911 call from Becky, claiming someone shot her in the leg. While they struggled to find a connection between the two incidents, her brother, Jerry Jacobs, reached out.
Jerry, who was incarcerated at the time, informed the police that Becky once called him and confessed to having an affair with Kay’s husband, David. He also admitted that she had allegedly asked him if there was anyone who could kill Kay and make it look like an accident. On March 27, 2009, David was questioned, who admitted that although he had an affair with her, he had recently broken it off. He also informed them that Becky didn’t take it well. Although he denied speaking to her, he later confessed to talking with her the previous night of the attack. Detectives reportedly learned from him that the only person who knew about the affair was another of Becky’s sons, Christopher Bowers. Jerry reportedly told the police that Christopher was quite loyal to Becky and would do anything to make her happy.
A Mother’s Alleged Manipulation of Her Son Led to Kay’s Murder
Jerry reportedly informed that recently, Christopher got addicted to the drug Xanax. Upon investigation, officials learned that Becky gave him a house, money, and even prescription drugs, and in return, he allegedly did everything she asked him to. When both of them were brought in for questioning on March 27, 2009, Christopher refused to say anything. However, Becky alleged that since she often cried before him regarding the affair, he presumed she wanted him to hurt Kay. She confessed that on the day of the attack, she picked Christopher up from his house and brought him to her residence, where he waited until Becky and Kay left with their kids to leave for school. She admitted that when she was leaving, Christopher was in the backyard, and she allegedly asked him not to do anything.
When Kay came back, Christopher reportedly jumped the fence and went to her house and attacked her. Becky confessed that she had asked him to stage a burglary in her home, too. So, when he left Kay’s house, he went to Becky’s residence, staged the scene, and ran into the woods with a backpack containing spare clothes. She admitted that she picked him up after getting a call from him, and although his clothing had no blood, Christopher reportedly had blood on his face. Becky confessed that she and her son also staged her shooting to divert attention from them. Becky and Christopher were arrested and, in April 2009, they were formally charged with murder, burglary, and armed robbery.
Becky and Christopher Are Incarcerated at a Georgia Prison Facility Today
In May 2009, during the initial hearing after their formal indictment, Becky and Christopher pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them. However, the prosecution reportedly sought the death penalty for them if they were convicted. They claimed that Becky was the mastermind behind the premeditated murder plot and alleged that she manipulated Christopher to commit the crime. The defense emphasized that there was no physical evidence linking Becky and Christopher to the crime scene because of the lack of DNA, fingerprints, or eyewitness testimony.
Becky and Christopher’s jury trial was supposed to happen separately since both of them were reportedly facing the death penalty. Shortly before the case was supposed to go on trial, Becky pleaded guilty to murder, armed robbery, and burglary in May 2012. She entered a plea deal with the prosecution and reportedly led them to the bloody clothes of Christopher, which he wore during the commission of the crime. It was reportedly hidden in a box in the attic of her mom’s house. After they were discovered, officials found DNA evidence tying Christopher to the murder. According to the plea agreement, she would no longer face the death penalty.
After officials found incriminating physical evidence against Christopher, he pleaded guilty to murder, armed robbery, and burglary. The prosecution agreed to remove the death penalty in exchange for his guilty plea. Both of them were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, each for murder and armed robbery. They were also reportedly sentenced to 20 years in prison for burglary, all to be served consecutively. As of writing, Becky is serving her time at McRae Women’s Facility in McRae-Helena, Georgia. Christopher is currently incarcerated at Smith State Prison in Glennville, Georgia.
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