Tenn. mother allegedly strangled 12-year-old son to death and tried to kill her 4-year-old child
07/19/2023 3:40 pm PDT
SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (TCD) -- Police announced the arrest of a 32-year-old mother this week in connection with the strangling death of her son and the attempted killing of her other child.
On July 17 at around 9:50 p.m., a father found his 12-year-old son unresponsive at his home on Barksdale Lane and called the Shelbyville Police Department. Police wanted to speak with the deceased boy’s mother, Patricia Sylvester, and his 4-year-old sibling, Rafael Sylvester, but couldn’t locate them at the time.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation put out an Endangered Child Alert for the mother and Rafael, stating they were in a 2012 orange Dodge Caravan.
In a press conference posted by WSMV-TV, the Shelbyville Police Department said the mother returned to her family home at around 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 18. Police escorted her to the department for questioning.
During an interview, the victim’s mother reportedly admitted to the "intentional" killing of her 12-year-old son, Esteban Sylvester, and the attempted slaying of Rafael. Authorities transported Rafael to a local hospital for further evaluation.
According to the press conference, police believe Patricia Sylvester fatally strangled Esteban on July 17 and tried to conceal the crime before fleeing the residence with Rafael. Police also noted that investigators found evidence on Rafael’s body consistent with what Patricia said during her interview.
She faces one count of criminal homicide and one count of attempted criminal homicide.
Police said the father has been fully cooperative throughout the investigation, and he is not a suspect at this time.
According to WSMV-TV, Esteban was a rising seventh grader at Harris Middle School and enjoyed playing basketball.
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