A woman in Missouri has been charged with first-degree murder after admitting she shot and stabbed her teenage son, then lay beside him as he died. Police discovered the body of the boy on Monday after being called twice for welfare checks by friends who had not heard from him since the weekend. “They had dropped him off about two o’clock in the morning on Saturday and hadn’t been able to get in touch with him,” St. Charles County Prosecutor Joe McCulloch explained. “They were worried — and rightly so. They asked police to check on him to make sure everything was okay.”

Police Discovered a Horrifying Scene

When officers entered the home, they were met with a foul odor. Inside, they found the boy dead in his bed with multiple gunshot and stab wounds. A knife, still stained with blood, was lying on the bed beside him. The scene told its own story, but Krista Roy, the boy’s 45-year-old mother, filled in the most chilling details.

Roy’s Son Called Out For Her Before He Died

After attempting to take her own life earlier Tuesday, Roy was treated at a hospital and then taken into custody. According to police, she confessed to obtaining a pistol with the intent to kill her son and herself. She said she shot him several times while he slept. He survived the initial attack, calling out for her, crying “mommy, mommy,” as she lay down beside him, caressing him. Roy admitted she then left the bed, retrieved a knife, and stabbed him repeatedly to “put him out of his pain.” When asked by investigators if she intended to kill her son, she replied simply: “Yeah.”

The Gun Belonged to Her Ex-Husband

The pistol, believed to have been used in the attack, was later recovered from her ex-husband’s home during a search. Authorities have not explained how or when the gun was returned to the house. Roy now faces charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. She is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond.

Her Son’s Friends Are Heartbroken

Friends of the teenager, who first raised the alarm, described him as someone who “loved life” and made clear to police that he was not suicidal. They said he was extremely close to them and characterized his mother as “strange” and only minimally involved in his life. The boy’s school district issued a brief statement acknowledging his death and offering counseling to students and staff. “We are saddened to learn of the passing of a former student. Our hearts go out to the child’s family, friends, and all who loved him,” the statement read.