Police officials said that a Missouri woman admitted that she killed her blind and autistic teen son. The mother's alleged last words tried to console, "Please let God take you."
The mother, 42-year-old Kimberly Lightwine, was found near the area where the son, who was wearing only a diaper, died. Lightwine told investigators that she tried to abandon her severely disabled 19-year-old son, named Austin Anderson, by leading him into a field where he eventually died. The mother was found wearing underwear, lying face down, yelling about God, and saying that she needed water.
Lightwine has been charged by prosecutors in southwestern Missouri's Polk County with second-degree murder, The Washington Post reported. The charges were announced on Saturday but more details about the case were released only this week. Her bond was set at $250,000. She is also facing charges related to elder abuse since her son is 19 years old, and it is a crime pertaining to acts against disabled adults.
Lightwine recounted how she had killed her blind and autistic son when authorities gave her water and she started to calm down. Her son died from exposure to nature and as per the autopsy, he died from a swollen brain due to dehydration. He might have also gone into shock since he was not able to take his much-needed medication, 5 On Your Side reported.
The mother continued to say that she did not know how she got to the field but remembered she used meth beforehand and has been using drugs on and off for years now. She told investigators that she is a terrible mother, she got high, and got depressed, Washington Post reported.
She recalled that she asked her son to get out of the car and told him to put his hands in front of him and that God is going to take care of him. Lightwine said that her son kept coming back and was saying "mom" over and over again. She added that she pushed him away and told him, "No you don't want to love me, please let God take you."
It is unclear how many days has the teen been dead when authorities found him and the mother, but they were reported missing by a family member on Aug. 28. The father of the teen said that his son had a limited vocabulary and his mental capacity could be compared to an elementary school student.
Lightwine told authorities that she should be charged with murder as she is taking responsibility over her son's death.
