A 37-year-old woman has been arrested for strangling her 13-year-old son in St. Cloud, Florida.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Department responded to an emergency call from a family member at around 7:30 am on Monday, Aug. 21. Upon arrival, officers discovered the lifeless body of the adolescent, face up in bed, displaying evident signs of strangulation.
During a press conference streamed on News Channel 8, Sheriff Marcos Lopez said that the mother spontaneously admitted to the crime when speaking with the first responders. Jasmin Kennedy, 37, is currently facing preliminary charges, including domestic battery by strangulation, child neglect, and aggravated child abuse.
She is reported to have said that she strangled her son to “spare him from the devil”. Court records show that Kennedy called herself “Yahwh”, Hebrew for “God”.
Further charges might be forthcoming upon confirmation of the cause of death by the medical examiner’s office. Detectives are conducting an inquiry into the incident, refraining from disclosing the potential motive.
The St. Cloud residence was home to Kennedy, the 13-year-old victim, her five-year-old child, the grandmother of the children, and the grandmother’s boyfriend. The five-year-old was present at the time of the killing, in the top bunk of a bunk bed. He ran to get help but it was too late.
While the police had responded to a call at the home earlier this year, specific details about the prior incident remain undisclosed and were said to be unrelated to the present incident.
Sheriff Lopez acknowledged the gravity of the situation, recognizing the unfortunate loss of a young life, regardless of the circumstances.
