Mental Health and Criminal Justice

A Sedgwick County District Court judge in Wichita, Kansas has ruled that former television news anchor Angelynn “Angie” Mock, 48, is not mentally competent to stand trial on a first-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of her 80-year-old mother, Anita Avers, on Oct. 31, 2025. Judge Jeffrey Goering ordered Mock committed to a state psychiatric hospital for further evaluation and treatment and stayed the criminal proceedings until she is deemed competent. Police previously said they found Avers with multiple stab wounds in the home she shared with Mock and that Mock, who had cuts on her hands, made statements indicating she believed her mother was the devil and told authorities she stabbed her “to save herself.” Court records cited in the article say Mock had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and suffered from delusions and depression. The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office emphasized that a finding of incompetency neither dismisses the case nor results in Mock’s release; the prosecution can resume if doctors later determine she understands the proceedings and can assist in her defense.