Maryland Mom Tries To Decapitate Autistic Son With Bow Saw, Police Say

A mother from Maryland is accused of trying to decapitate her own 11-year-old son because she figured that his autism would later become a burden on society.

Kristina Petrie, 46, of Aspen Hill was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree child abuse and second-degree child abuse in connection with a bloody incident which occurred on March 12, according to a police affidavit obtained by Oxygen.com.

The victim said Petrie was “laughing and crying” when he returned home from school. He went upstairs to play video games. Soon after, Petrie went to his room with a bow saw in her hand, asking her son why he wasn’t doing his homework. She allegedly pinned her son in a kneeling position and then "jammed" the sharp side of the saw against the boy’s neck, "moving it back and forth multiple times."

The child escaped and was able to wrestle the weapon out of his mother’s hand. Police said Petrie called her husband and confessed to trying to kill their autistic son.

The child is okay but suffered injuries to his neck, shoulder and fingers, according to Fox5 in Washington D.C.

Petrie's husband took her to a nearby hospital where she told staff that she felt she "was not doing enough to help her children with their autism,” according to police. She said she feared that both the son she attacked and her other, younger son (who also reportedly has autism) would "grow up to be a burden to society." Because of that reason, she felt they "needed to die." She also allegedly admitted to hospital staff that she "tried to kill her kids again."

Petrie is being held without bond. Her attorney told WJLA that she had "absolutely no intent" to hurt anyone. The lawyer pointed to the fact that  Petrie has been happily married to her husband for 15 years and that she has no prior criminal history.

A preliminary hearing for Petrie is scheduled for April 20.

[Photo: Montgomery County Police Department]