Mom Kills Baby; Eats Brain

[Peg]

SAN ANTONIO -- A woman charged with murdering her 3½-week-old son used a knife and two swords to dismember the child and ate parts of his body, including his brain, before stabbing herself in the torso and slicing her own throat, police said Monday.

Otty Sanchez, 33, is charged with capital murder in the death of her infant son, Scott Wesley Buchholtz-Sanchez. She was recovering from her wounds at a hospital, and was being held on $1 million bail.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said the early Sunday morning attack occurred a week after the child's father moved out. Otty Sanchez's sister and her sister's two children, ages 5 and 7, were in the house, but none were harmed.

Otty Sanchez's aunt, Gloria Sanchez, said her niece had been "in and out" of a psychiatric ward, and that the hospital called several months ago looking to check up on her. She did not elaborate on the nature of her niece's health problems.

"Otty didn't mean to do that. She was not in her right mind," a sobbing Gloria Sanchez told The Associated Press on Monday by phone. She said her family was devastated.

McManus, who appeared uncomfortable as he addressed reporters, said Sanchez apparently ate the child's brain and some other body parts. She also decapitated the infant, tore off his face and chewed off three of his toes before stabbing herself.

"It's too heinous for me to describe it any further," McManus said.

McManus described the crime scene as so grisly that police officers barely spoke to each other while looking through the house. Parts of the child were missing, including pieces that Sanchez allegedly ate.

"At this particular scene you could have heard a pin drop," McManus said. "No one was speaking. It was about as somber as it could have been."

Officers called to Sanchez's house at about 5 a.m. Sunday found her sitting on the couch screaming "I killed my baby! I killed my baby!" McManus said. They found the boy's body in a bedroom.

Police said Sanchez said the devil told her to kill her son and that she was hearing voices.

"It was a spontaneous utterance," McManus said.

Police said Sanchez did not have an attorney, and they declined to identify family members who might speak on her behalf.

No one answered the door Monday at Sanchez's one-story home, where the blinds were shut. A hopscotch pattern and red hearts were drawn on the walk leading up to the house.

Neighbor Luis Yanez, 23, said his kids went to school with one of the small children who lived at the house. He said he often saw a woman playing outside with the children but didn't know whether it was Otty.

"Why would you do that to your baby?" said Yanez, a tire technician. "It brings chills to you. They can't defend themselves."

Authorities said Sanchez and her sister took turns watching the baby Sunday morning, and that the boy was placed in Sanchez's care at about 1:30 a.m. Her sister discovered what happened about three hours later and called police.

Investigators are looking into whether postpartum depression could have played a role in the attack, McManus said. Authorities said they were looking into Sanchez's mental health history to see if there was anything "significant" but did not elaborate

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[oscar]

We have had a handful of cases in this country similar, although the murder not so gruesome and the mothers had been found to be suffering from post natal depression in the extreme. Some of the similarities seem to be the hearing of voices. One case we had here, the mother saw the devils face in her baby.

A tragic sad case.

[Odie]

Originally Posted by oscar

We have had a handful of cases in this country similar, although the murder not so gruesome and the mothers had been found to be suffering from post natal depression in the extreme. Some of the similarities seem to be the hearing of voices. One case we had here, the mother saw the devils face in her baby.

A tragic sad case.

we also have physco cases here where the women suffer from post natal depression.....


this women was more than just post natal depressed!


poor wee thing.

[CARLA]

Disturbing, sad and shocking tragic and sad beyond words.

[Fyrenza]

What in the world could she have been thinking?

That's she's insane is a given, but WHAT convinced her to, not just kill her baby,

but to EAT it...

McManus is right ~ it's too gruesome for words.

[Odie]

Originally Posted by Fyrenza

What in the world could she have been thinking?

That's she's insane is a given, but WHAT convinced her to, not just kill her baby,

but to EAT it...

McManus is right ~ it's too gruesome for words.

well said Fyrenza!

[fuzzywuzzy]

sounds like a very ill woman

[Rapunzel]

How unbelievably horrible!

This woman needs locking up for the rest of her life - for her own safety and the safety of those around her!

[Peg]

Otty Sanchez's aunt, Gloria Sanchez, said her niece had been "in and out" of a psychiatric ward, and that the hospital called several months ago looking to check up on her.

I'm anxious to see what comes out here. This is obviously a very sick individual. I keep thinking that surely there had to have been signs. Maybe not though. I'm not so sure that post partum depression could lead to something so extreme. I just cannot understand how the very person who was supposed to protect this baby could do something so horrible to him.

[Odie]

Originally Posted by Peg

I'm anxious to see what comes out here. This is obviously a very sick individual. I keep thinking that surely there had to have been signs. Maybe not though. I'm not so sure that post partum depression could lead to something so extreme. I just cannot understand how the very person who was supposed to protect this baby could do something so horrible to him.

some post partun women here have taken their lives and their children`s as the depression can be unbearable.

but this....is not post partum depression.......

this woman was sick....really sick!