A former St. Louis television news anchor pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree murder in the stabbing death of her 80-year-old mother inside their shared Wichita, Kansas home. Angelynn Mock, 48, admitted to killing Anita Louise Bradley Avers, a licensed therapist, in a case that had been paused for months while doctors evaluated her mental state.
Mock entered her plea before Sedgwick County District Judge Faith Johnson on Friday, waiving her right to both a preliminary hearing and a jury trial, according to JC Post. She had been held at the Sedgwick County Jail since her arrest on Halloween 2025, the outlet reported. The plea resolves a case that STLtoday.com reports was first covered by The Wichita Eagle.
The killing happened at the family's home on East Crowley Street in Wichita. Police responding around 7:50 a.m. on October 31, 2025 found blood throughout the house, along with several knives and a cheese grater lying on a pillow beside the victim in bed, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit cited by Court TV. Officers reportedly encountered Mock covered in blood, standing outside the house.
A Delusional 911 Call and a Fatal Encounter
A neighbor told police that immediately after the attack, a blood-covered Mock approached her vehicle outside, borrowed her boyfriend's mobile phone, and dialed 911, claiming she had stabbed her mother to save herself before running back into the residence, per The Independent. Emergency dispatchers reportedly received that call shortly before 8 a.m.
Police records state that Mock made delusional claims after her arrest, asserting her mother came at her with a knife saying, “I know you're f---ing Jesus Christ,” and was “spewing venom,” which she said prompted her to stab her mother in claimed self-defense. Prosecutors later linked her behavior to severe mental illness, the same report notes.
Months of Psychiatric Treatment Delayed the Case
The criminal case was stayed in January 2026 after Sedgwick County District Judge Jeff Goering found Mock incompetent to stand trial due to schizophrenia and sent her to Larned State Hospital for treatment. She spent roughly six months undergoing competency restoration at the state psychiatric facility before the same judge deemed her competent on July 30, 2026, the outlet's report states.
Once found competent, Mock moved quickly toward resolution rather than trial. The murder prosecution was formally handled by Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett and Deputy District Attorney Shannon Wilson, whose office originally filed the first-degree murder charge in November 2025, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office.
Mandatory Life Sentence Looms in October
Under Kansas statute K.S.A. 21-6620(b)(1), first-degree murder as an off-grid person felony carries a statutory presumptive sentence of life in prison with parole eligibility after 25 years. Mock's formal sentencing is scheduled for October 5, 2026, the district attorney's office confirmed when announcing the plea agreement.
The victim, Anita Louise Bradley Avers, was a licensed clinical and marriage and family therapist who practiced at Wichita Counseling Professionals, specializing in treating anxiety, depression, and trauma, according to Law&Crime. She lived in the home with her daughter at the time of the fatal stabbing.
A Familiar Face on Local TV Screens
Before the killing, Mock had built a two-decade career in local television news. She worked on-air in St. Louis as a morning news anchor and reporter for KTVI FOX 2 under the name Angie Mock from 2011 to 2015 before leaving broadcasting for corporate sales and technology roles, according to KSDK. She had been a recognizable personality in the St. Louis television market.
Earlier in her career, Mock worked as a weekend sports anchor and sports reporter for NBC affiliate KECI-TV/NBC Montana in Missoula from August 2004 to January 2006, according to The Missoulian. Her online resume documented multiple regional broadcast roles before she left the industry entirely.
