SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Dakota County prosecutors say a South Saint Paul woman killed her 10-year-old son Monday by poisoning him with lethal doses of anti-psychotic medications. Patricia Ann Becht, who is 42, is charged with first degree murder in the death of the boy, Michael V. Becht Jr.
She's also charged with attempted murder for giving the same powerful drug, Seroquel, to her 11-year-old daughter, Erica. According to Dakota County Attorney Jim Backstrom the woman's actions were part of an attempted murder-suicide.
The complaint said Bechtel admitted talking to both children, during the television coverage of Michael Jackson's death, about whether they'd like to go to Jackson's Neverland ranch in Santa Barbara County California. She told them heaven would be like Neverland.
The criminal complaint said the first officers to arrive at the home at 716 1st Avenue South found a handwritten suicide note to her 16-year-old daughter saying she could not leave her two younger children behind.
Investigators arrived to find one of Becht's nieces carrying the girl, who was unconscious at the time, down the stairs. Erica was taken to Children's Hospital where, at last report, she was still being treated.
Officers found Michael on his bed on the first floor "obviously deceased." Patrica Becht was found vomiting on the bathroom floor, having intentionally overdosed on the same drugs.
According to the complaint, investigators found other notes in Becht's handwriting throughout the home, including one that read, "I don't have much to say, only that we are happy to be gone."
Other notes made it apparent Becht had planned details of the crime, including one that said "count all medications to equal out the amounts needed depending on weight, get sleeping area ready."
Patricia Becht was taken to United Hospital and released on Thursday morning directly to the Dakota County jail. While at the hospital she made a recorded statement to investigators that she frequently thought of killing herself but not her children.
Eventually, according to the detective's report, Becht admitted she intended to kill herself and Michael and Erica. She said she divided up the Seroquel pills, giving each child 10 and then gave herself 25.
Becht told police she didn't remember watching the kids take the pills, but does recall rubbing Michael's back as he went to sleep. The next thing she remembered was being in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Neighbors expressed shock at both the death of Michael and the revelations about his mother.
"You could not ask for better neighbors or friends," said Marv Shew from the front step of his next door. "They were like family. They were like my grandkids."
Shew says the children's mother had been under stress, due in part to Michael's autism and her daughter's heart problems. The mother was also taking classes for a job in the medical field.
"There was a lot of stress, a lot of stress beyond anything any of us knew obviously," said Shew.
Becht is also the mother of 16-year-old girl who neighbors say alerted a relative on Monday when she could not get in touch with her mom. She wrote this on her Facebook page: "I have three great kids, I'm in college, I'm a free spirit. And I don't believe in marriage."
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