In May, a Louisiana community was left reeling after the violent death of a longtime teacher. Stabbed to death in her sleep by her own son, 55-year-old Lara Lyons died in her home in Shreveport.

According to the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched around 2:11 p.m. after a chilling 911 call in which a caller said, “My brother killed my mother.” The description of the scene is like something out of a movie. Deputies arrived at the Lyon residence to find one of Lara’s sons, 19-year-old Conner Lyons, sitting quietly on the back steps. Police handcuffed the young man, read him his rights, and that’s when he calmly explained that he stabbed his mother three times in the neck while she slept. According to Conner, voices in his head told him what to do.

Inside the house, deputies found Lara Lyons dead in her bed. The sheriff’s office later confirmed Conner was charged with second-degree murder, along with additional counts including resisting an officer, battery of a police officer, and being an in-state fugitive. He is being held at the Caddo Correctional Center on a bond of just over $2 million.

For many in DeSoto Parish, where Lara Lyons taught at Mansfield High School, the crime is almost impossible to comprehend. Just a day before summer break, she was making plans with students and colleagues, expecting nothing more than a few months of rest. In a statement, the school district said: “Ms. Lyons was a dedicated educator, a compassionate colleague, and a cherished member of the DeSoto Parish Schools family. Her commitment to her students and passion for teaching touched countless lives, and her absence will be deeply felt.”

One of Lara’s sons posted a song she loved, writing that he felt “completely destroyed” by the loss. Friends remembered her as generous, funny, and fiercely loyal. “If you knew her you knew she was a real friend,” wrote childhood friend Angie Guice. Another friend, Jessica Thompson, said, “To truly know you was to love you. All of your quirks and sass made you, you.”