A 6-year-old South Carolina boy’s phone call to his grandmother about being hungry led authorities to a home where investigators say his mother had attacked him and his 3-year-old sibling, leaving both children with dozens of serious stab wounds.
Taylor Gosnell, 35, faces two counts of attempted murder in connection with the alleged overnight assault at the family’s Spartanburg County residence, authorities said. The victims, ages 6 and 3, were found injured Saturday.
According to the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, the older child called his grandmother on Sept. 26 and said his mother was away and that he and his younger sibling were hungry.
Taylor Gosnell, 35, is charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime in Spartanburg County, S.C. (Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office)
The grandmother reached out to a friend of Gosnell, and the pair went to the home. There, they found both children suffering from severe injuries and called 911.
Deputies arrived shortly after 2:30 p.m. and found the residence in disarray, with numerous damaged and broken items, the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators said the children had about 50 stab wounds between them, some reaching the bone. They were first taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and later transferred to Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in Greenville. Both remained hospitalized and were expected to require further surgeries.
Arrest warrants reviewed by News Outlet offer more details about the alleged attack. They accuse Gosnell of striking the children with a baseball bat and attacking them with a circular knife, inflicting severe injuries with the intent to kill.
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Gosnell returned to the residence while deputies were investigating, according to authorities. Deputies took her to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center for an evaluation after observing conduct that raised concerns about her immediate safety.
Authorities said Gosnell tried to flee from the ambulance before transport and had to be restrained. She was medically cleared and released from the hospital soon afterward.
Gosnell returned to the home while deputies were still at the scene. (Getty Images, File)
Investigators sought to question Gosnell, but the interview did not take place after she asked for an attorney, the sheriff’s office said.
Gosnell was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Facility shortly before midnight on Sept. 26. She was denied bond on both attempted murder counts.
Investigators later secured two more warrants accusing Gosnell of possessing a weapon during a violent crime. The warrants, also reviewed by News Outlet, allege that she had the weapons during the attempted murders.
The children remain hospitalized and have been placed in protective custody, authorities said.
The investigation is ongoing.
