A 45-year-old mother from St. Charles is facing first-degree murder charges after confessing to killing her 16-year-old son while he slept. Prosecutors announced Tuesday that Krista Roy has also been charged with armed criminal action following the violent death of her son, discovered in his bed Monday morning.
Friends of the teenager, worried they had not heard from him in days, requested a welfare check. “They had dropped him off about 2 o’clock in the morning, I think on Saturday, and hadn’t been able to get in touch with him,” St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Joe McCulloch said.
Police arriving at the home reported a strong odor and found the teen in bed with multiple gunshot and stab wounds. A blood-stained knife was recovered beside him. Roy, who had attempted suicide earlier that day, was under hospital care when investigators took her into custody. After her release, she agreed to an interview with detectives.
“[Roy] confessed that she had obtained a pistol with the intent to kill her son and herself and that she shot him several times while he was sleeping in his bed,” McCulloch said. According to court documents, Roy told investigators that after the initial shots, her son was still alive.
“She then lay down with him because he was still alive, was caressing him, and he was calling out her name, calling ‘mommy, mommy,’” McCulloch explained. Roy admitted she retrieved a knife from the kitchen and stabbed her son multiple times in what she described as an effort to end his suffering.
She told police she wanted to put him “out of his pain.” When asked directly if she intended to kill him, she answered, “Yeah.” Police later recovered the suspected firearm at the home of Roy’s ex-husband. Friends who raised the alarm said the teen “loved life” and showed no signs of being suicidal, according to NewsNation.
They described his mother as “strange” and only marginally involved in his upbringing. In a statement, the St. Charles School District expressed condolences: “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 case has shaken the suburban community, where friends say the teen was known for his energy and optimism. Prosecutors say the investigation remains active as they continue to review evidence.