A Florida mother has been charged with second-degree murder after fatally stabbing her 6-year-old daughter at a home in Arlington. According to News4Jax, Purkanah Mayo, 36, appeared before a judge at the Duval County court on Saturday. She is being held at the Duval County jail without bond.
A report from the Department of Children and Families said Mayo’s parental rights had been terminated before the incident and she attacked her daughter – identified as Atarah – during a visit to the child’s home on August 19. Mayo stabbed Atarah multiple times with a kitchen knife before stabbing herself. There were six other people in the house at the time of the incident.
In the aftermath of the attack, both mother and daughter were transported to the hospital for treatment but young Atarah succumbed to her injuries. Mayo, who was also critically injured, was, however, treated and discharged from the hospital on August 28 before being booked into the Duval County jail the same day, News4Jax reports.
A GoFundMe set up to help raise funds for Atarah’s funeral expenses described her as a “bright young girl, with a contagious smile and a huge heart.” A little over $10,000 has so far been raised, matching the initial goal.
Mayo is due to reappear in court on September 21.
