A 10-year-old Memphis boy killed himself after his mother beat and choked him as a form of discipline, police say.
Robin McKinzie has been charged with aggravated child abuse after her fourth-grade son stabbed himself in the chest. He died in the hospital, according to WATN-TV.
First-responders say that McKinzie admitted to whipping the boy with an extension cord then choking him. In response, her son got angry, then stabbed himself with the knife.
“All I can say is that she was a good mother, and her son was her life,” a friend who wanted to remain unnamed told Fox 4. “Her son was her life.”
The Tennessee Department of Child Services also told local Fox 13 they have records showing they have been involved in the McKinzie’s home life in the last three years.
Her bond was set at $100,000. She is set to appear in court on Tuesday.