Samantha Booth, a 35-year-old nanny in Michigan who had been babysitting for a family, went completely berserk while taking care of a child. Booth ended up killing the child’s 83-year-old grandfather, stabbing the baby’s uncle with a screwdriver, and physically harming the child — leaving everyone who thought they knew her utterly puzzled.
Psychotic breaks, especially those that are drug-related, tend to be among the most unpredictable experiences one can go through — they spare no one, not even Hollywood stars. On Oct. 24 in Royal Oak, Michigan, things started to turn dire when David Ong was asked to check on his granddaughter and her babysitter, Booth. Sometimes, a mother just has certain instincts.
After a while with no update, Ong’s daughter grew worried and sent her brother-in-law to double-check what had happened. When he finally arrived at the home, what he found proved that her instincts weren’t wrong.
Upon entering the house, he first heard noises coming from the basement. As he slowly made his way downstairs, he found Booth manic and covered in blood. Ong was reportedly there too, suffering from severe injuries. The brother-in-law did everything he could and rushed to find the child.
Once he picked up the child, he tried to escape the now-dangerous scene. Booth reportedly chased after both of them with a screwdriver in hand, but he managed to fend her off and escape with the child. Once in a safe location, he immediately called 911. Ong died before the police arrived.
When officers reached the scene, they reportedly found Booth naked and covered in blood. According to People, Booth is now facing charges of first-degree murder, child abuse, assault, and resisting arrest — suggesting that prosecutors believe they can prove Booth had planned the murder and violence.
When it comes to the barbaric act of harming a child, there’s never a good enough reason. At best, suspects often offer flimsy excuses about why they thought their lives would be made slightly more convenient by such brutality. Still, prosecutors are left with the unenviable task of uncovering why someone could do something so horrific. For Booth, the case is all the more baffling because she had never shown any such signs during the three years she had worked for the family. Even just days before the incident, those who knew her described her as her usual self.
It remains unclear how she has pleaded in her case. Further developments revealed that psychedelic mushrooms were found in her purse on the day of the murder. Whether this played a role in her actions that night will only become clear as the case progresses. For now, this remains a tragedy of unimaginable proportions for Ong’s family — and his decision to visit the home might be the only reason that child wasn’t also a victim of Booth’s psychotic violence.
Booth is currently still being uncooperative even after her arrest. On Oct. 28, what was supposed to be her first court appearance via virtual means was disrupted when she undressed on camera and hid on her cell floor.
