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Jul 10, 2009 6:00 pm US/Central
Mom Charged With Murdering Son Claims Suicide Pact
Police: Mom Compared Michael Jackson's Neverland To Heaven
(WCCO)
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Patricia Becht, 42, has been charged with first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder.
CBS
A Twin Cities mother, now charged with first-degree murder in the death of her son, told police she killed him as part of a suicide pact.
Patricia Becht, 42, has also been charged first-degree attempted murder for trying to kill her 11-year-old daughter.
According to charges filed Friday morning, Becht said she plotted a family suicide with her two children, Michael Becht Junior, 10, and Erica Becht, 11.
Investigators said Becht left a suicide note for her 16-year-old daughter, explaining that she and her two younger children would be at peace and happy to be gone.
Becht is accused of giving the children and herself a number of medications including Oxycodone.
According to the charges, police found the suicide note and also a list titled "Things to do for Sunday." That list mentioned writing letters, counting out pills according to weight and preparing sleeping areas.
When Becht was interviewed by investigations, she said she frequently thought of killing herself, but not her children.
Eventually, according to the complaint, Becht said she had planned with her son and her younger daughter to commit suicide together using pills.
She said that during recent coverage of Michael Jackson's death she explained to her kids that Neverland was a place for kids to go -- similar to heaven. She said she discussed going to Neverland with her children as part of their suicide plan.
Police were called to the family's home in South St. Paul Monday by Patricia Becht's niece. When officers arrived, the niece carried Erica, who was unconscious, to the door and officers brought her outside for medical attention. Police went upstairs and found Michael in the front bedroom of the home, where he was pronounced dead.
Patricia Becht was found on the bathroom floor and appeared to be vomiting. Both Erica and Patricia Becht were brought to the hospital, where Patricia Becht was arrested Thursday morning shortly before being discharged.
Erica is still in the hospital.
The niece that called 911 told police that Becht had made a comment a few weeks earlier that she was going to take her two younger kids and lock them in the garage and start the car in order to kill them all.
A young neighbor also told police that when she played with Michael a day before he died, he talked about taking pills. She said that Erica Becht scolded him for talking to her and sent him in the house.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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