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 Michigan nanny has been charged with first-degree murder following the death of an elderly man in a chilling incident that unfolded last week. Authorities allege that 35-year-old Samantha Rae Booth fatally attacked 83-year-old David Ong, the grandfather of the child she was caring for, using a screwdriver in the basement of the family’s residence.
Beyond the murder charge, Booth faces additional accusations, including second-degree child abuse, assault with a dangerous weapon, and resisting or obstructing law enforcement, according to court documents.
As detailed in a news release by the Royal Oak Police Department, the incident began on the evening of October 24, when Ong’s daughter, who was out of town, asked him to check on her 3-year-old daughter. The child was being looked after by Booth at the family’s home on Sheridan Drive, located approximately 18 miles northwest of Detroit.
Concern arose when Ong did not follow up with his daughter after arriving at the residence. Alarmed by the lack of communication, she reached out to her brother-in-law, requesting him to visit the house and ensure both her father and daughter were safe.
Upon arriving at the home around 9:25 p.m., the brother-in-law entered through an open front door and heard unsettling noises emanating from the basement. Calling out to Booth yielded no reply, prompting him to descend the stairs, where he discovered a horrific scene.
The Royal Oak Police report described the brother-in-law encountering Booth in a frenzied state, covered in blood, with Ong gravely injured on the floor. Acting quickly, he rescued the child and attempted to contact emergency services. During the escape, he reportedly had to defend himself and his niece from Booth’s continued assaults, who pursued them 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.
