Inset: Samantha R. Booth (Royal Oak Police Dept.). Background: The area in Michigan where Booth allegedly killed the grandfather of the child she was watching (Google Maps).
A 35-year-old nanny in Michigan is accused of killing the 83-year-old grandfather of the 3-year-old girl she was watching, allegedly stabbing him multiple times with a screwdriver in the basement of the child's home. Samantha Rae Booth was taken into custody on Friday and charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of David Ong, court records show.
In addition to murder, Booth is also facing one count of second-degree child abuse, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and three counts of resisting or obstructing police.
According to a news release from the Royal Oak Police Department, Ong's daughter, at about 7:50 p.m. on Oct. 24, contacted him and requested that he check on the welfare of his granddaughter. Ong's daughter was out of town, and Booth was watching the 3-year-old girl at her home in the 4300 block of Sheridan Drive, which is about 18 miles northwest of Detroit.
Ong arrived at the home a short while later, but police said he did not contact his daughter, leading her to grow concerned. Ong's daughter then called her brother-in-law, asking him to go to her home and check on both her father and her daughter.
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The brother-in-law, at about 9:25 p.m., arrived at the home, entered through the open front door, and heard "noises coming from the basement." The brother-in-law, who was also the uncle of the 3-year-old, called Booth's name but received no response. He then went into the basement to investigate, where he came upon a grisly scene.
"He encountered the nanny in a manic state covered in blood and [Ong] lying on the floor with severe injuries," police wrote in the release. "He picked up the child and attempted to escape from the basement to call 911. While fleeing the home, the man repeatedly fended off continued attacks from the nanny until he was able to escape. The nanny continued to pursue the man and his niece outside while armed with a screwdriver."
The brother-in-law and child ran to a neighbor's home, where they called 911 at about 9:30 p.m.
Authorities say Booth then stopped chasing the man and child, dropped the screwdriver, and "stripped off all her clothing." She then attempted to flee the area on foot, but was "quickly apprehended."
The brother-in-law and the 3-year-old were transported to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries and were released a short time later.
Booth, who authorities said had no prior criminal record, was scheduled to appear in court for her arraignment on Tuesday morning, but she reportedly refused to appear for the Zoom hearing.
"She's lying on the floor at the moment, in the middle of the cell, with no clothes on," an officer told 44th District Court Magistrate Donald Chisholm during the hearing, according to a report from Detroit CBS affiliate WWJ.
The proceedings were reportedly delayed more than an hour before Booth voluntarily appeared on camera. The judge subsequently ordered her to remain in detention without bond. It was not immediately clear when she was scheduled to appear in court again.
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