Police: 4-year-old stabbed to death in St. Pete

 
Accused: Tasha Trotter, 40, has been charged with first degree murder in the stabbing death of her son



Heartbreaking: Joseph 'Turtle' Artis, four was allegedly stabbed to death by his mom 




The mother of a 4-year-old child who was stabbed to death Friday evening has been charged with first-degree murder, the St. Petersburg Police Department said.

Tasha Trotter, 40, used a kitchen knife to stab her son multiple times at her mother’s apartment, police said.

She was taken into custody shortly after the stabbings, police said. She didn’t give a statement to police and the motive for stabbing her son is unknown, police said.

Her son, Joseph Artis, who lived with his grandmother, 64-year-old Carolyn Trotter, at the Jordan Park Apartments, 2427 13th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, was transported to a local hospital after the stabbing where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Trotter was on the front porch of her mother’s apartment when her mother and Joseph arrived at the home late Friday afternoon. The grandmother may have picked up the boy from a daycare and brought him to her home, police said.

All three entered the home along with Trotter’s brother, who left the apartment before the stabbing occurred, police said.

The grandmother told investigators that Trotter was acting erratically and not in her typical manner, police said.

Trotter has had a history of mental issues, and investigators believe she snapped, police said.

She went into the kitchen, grabbed a knife and returned to the room where her son was, police said.

The boy’s grandmother tried to stop Trotter but wasn’t successful.

Trotter stabbed her son multiple times, police said.

A neighbor heard the boy’s grandmother screaming and ran into the apartment to witness the stabbing, police said. The neighbor ran out of the apartment just after 6 p.m. to get help and found two St. Petersburg police officers nearby directing traffic along 22nd Street South.

The two officers followed the neighbor to the apartment and saw Trotter walking out of the apartment carrying her son. Joseph was unconscious and suffering from multiple wounds, police said.

Trotter put the boy on the ground and officers administered CPR until paramedics arrived.

Paramedics then transported Joseph to Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg where he was pronounced dead.

Carolyn Trotter told investigators that her daughter had stabbed the boy. She completed her interview with investigators and was going to stay with relatives for the time being, police said.

The grandmother has had custody of Joseph for three years.

Trotter, who lives in another home in St. Petersburg, has visited her son in the past, police said.

Trotter is the mother of two adult children and a younger child who don’t live in the area, police said.


Jeremiah 44:7
Therefore now thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;

Deuteronomy 28:56
The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,