Former TV anchor Angelynn Mock sentenced to life for stabbing mother in Wichita
Angelynn “Angie” Mock was sentenced on Oct. 7, 2026 to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years after pleading guilty to first‑degree murder for the fatal stabbing of her mother, Anita Avers, on Oct. 31, 2025.
The sentencing took place in a Sedgwick County District Court in Wichita, Kansas. Prosecutors and the judge highlighted the severity of the crime, noting that Avers, 80, was found in her bed with multiple stab wounds and that Mock, then 48, was discovered outside the home with cuts on her hands.
Mock, a former morning news anchor at KTVI in St. Louis from 2011 to 2015 and at KOKH‑TV in Oklahoma City from 2007 to 2011, had shifted to a sales role at a data‑management software firm by the time of the homicide. She told investigators she had gone to her mother’s room to discuss a job interview at local station KSN and found Avers sharpening knives.
According to the affidavit, Mock claimed her mother attacked her with a blade, that she overpowered her, and that she felt compelled to “kill her” because she believed her mother was “the devil.” She later said, “I had to kill her, she wasn’t going to stop.” A stepfather, Barry Avers, said Mock had a history of delusional episodes, describing people as “robots” and claiming to have spoken to God.
Medical records indicate Mock had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a condition that combines symptoms of schizophrenia with mood‑disorder features such as depression. Her stepfather also mentioned possible bipolar symptoms. Earlier in the case, a judge found her not fit to stand trial in January 2026, ordering psychiatric evaluation before the proceedings were paused. By July, a judge determined she was competent to proceed.
Mock’s mental‑health history included a prior two‑week hospitalization after an explosive outburst and later episodes of anger during family gatherings. Despite these challenges, the court concluded that her actions warranted the maximum penalty under Kansas law.
The sentencing has sparked broader conversation about how mental‑health diagnoses intersect with criminal responsibility, especially when the defendant once occupied a public‑facing role in the media.
Mock will remain incarcerated at a state facility in Kansas, with her first eligibility for parole set for 2041.
