In a harrowing case from Grand Haven, Michigan, a mother has admitted guilt in the tragic death of her son, a crime that has raised unsettling questions about mental health and familial bonds. Katie Austin Lee, age 40, pleaded guilty to charges of torture and second-degree murder in an Ottawa County Circuit Court on Wednesday.

The incident took place on February 21 at an apartment complex in Holland, just a day before her son, Austin Dean Pikaart, was to celebrate his 18th birthday. Lee’s admission comes amid chilling revelations that she believed she was granting her son’s wish to avoid reaching adulthood. According to a detective’s testimony in an earlier hearing, Lee claimed her son requested her help to “stop breathing” as he did not wish to turn 18.

When law enforcement officers arrived at Bay Pointe Apartments, they were met with a distressing scene. Lee was reportedly covered in blood and wielding a large kitchen knife, holding it menacingly at shoulder height as if to ward off the police, according to court records.