An Alaska mother is accused of murdering her 5-year-old son after contacting 911 to report that he had been wounded.
Cedar Sarten, 43, contacted 911 in Fairbanks, Alaska, on October 14 to report that her son had been harmed by someone and was dead, according to a release from the city’s police department.
According to the release, Sarten allegedly informed officers that she attempted to phone police the night before but the call did not go through.
When officers arrived at the home, Sarten opened the door with what appeared to be self-inflicted lacerations on his forearms, wrists, neck, and head, according to police. Her son was discovered dead on the bed.
Police claimed to have discovered two knives and a 20-pound kettlebell weight covered in blood inside the home. The flat contained a “significant amount” of blood.
According to the announcement, the autopsy found that the youngster suffered blunt force trauma and was injured by a sharp object.
Police claimed they investigated Sarten’s phone and discovered that she had not made any 911 calls the night before.
Sarten was transferred to a Seattle hospital for treatment of his injuries before being arrested on a first-degree murder warrant on November 5. It is not clear whether she has hired an attorney or filed a plea.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience while our detectives investigated this case,” Fairbanks Police Chief Ron Dupee stated in a statement. “There is so much work that goes on behind the scenes during a murder investigation and I’m very proud of the thorough work that was done to ensure that we have a strong case and can hopefully provide some measure of justice for the victim’s family.”
Fairbanks police claimed they had interacted with Sarten in 2020, when an officer witnessed her allegedly attempting to hurt the same youngster during an incident at a hospital. It’s unclear whether any charges were filed in that case.
A GoFundMe page for her son identified him as Robert “Bodhi” Gagner-Sarten. A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help his father.
“He was the sweetest, most kind-hearted, loving little boy who wanted nothing more than to play and just be a kid,” the GoFundMe organizer wrote. “He usually had a big smile on his face and could talk a lot.
He enjoyed swinging and playing at his favorite park, and he was constantly inviting his schoolmates to play on the playground. He adored cheese pizza (his favorite food in the world) and mozzarella sticks.