A Michigan nanny, aged 35, faces murder charges and has been denied bail following allegations of fatally stabbing an elderly man while responsible for a 3-year-old child. The incident occurred over the weekend, according to local authorities.
The Royal Oak police reported that Samantha Rae Booth experienced what appeared to be a “manic” episode when the child’s grandfather visited the home for a welfare check.
In addition to the murder of the 83-year-old grandfather, Booth is accused of fleeing law enforcement, assaulting another family member with a screwdriver, and being discovered unclothed with suspected psychedelic mushrooms and marijuana in her possession, as reported by FOX 11 Los Angeles.
Booth now faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, second-degree child abuse, assault, and three counts related to resisting or obstructing police. The charge of child abuse is linked to the murder allegedly taking place in the presence of the young child, according to the presiding judge.
David Ong, the victim, is remembered with a smile in a family photograph. Ong, 83, was tragically killed on October 24, 2025, while checking on his granddaughter in Royal Oak, as confirmed by police. (Ong family/Facebook)
The chain of events reportedly started when the child’s mother, who was out of town on Friday, requested her father to check in on her daughter under the nanny’s care. Concerned by a lack of updates, she then sent the child’s uncle to the residence.
Police said that when the uncle entered the home, he heard noises coming from the basement. Upon going downstairs, he found the nanny in a “manic” state covered in blood, and the child’s grandfather, David Ong, lying on the floor with severe injuries. Ong received emergency medical care but ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
The uncle then grabbed the child, who was also in the basement, and tried to escape. He repeatedly fended off attacks from the nanny as he made his way out of the home, police said.
Booth allegedly followed them with a screwdriver, but the uncle and child eventually took shelter in a nearby home until police arrived.
Samantha Rae Booth is charged with first-degree murder and other crimes after allegedly stabbing 83-year-old David Ong to death in Royal Oak, Michigan, on Oct. 24, 2025. (Royal Oak Police Department)
Officials said Booth allegedly stopped chasing the uncle, dropped the screwdriver and stripped off her clothes before fleeing from responding police. She was reportedly found with blood on her hands and detained after a brief foot pursuit. Although she initially tried to escape, police said she was quickly apprehended.
The child and uncle sustained minor injuries and were taken to Corewell Hospital for evaluation, where they were treated and released shortly afterward, police said.
Authorities said Booth had looked after the child for two years previously without incident, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.
David Ong is seen in a family photo taken inside a home. Ong was fatally attacked while protecting his 3-year-old granddaughter, authorities said. (Ong family/Facebook)
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family as they cope with this tragic and senseless act of violence. No family should ever have to endure such loss, and we are keeping them in our thoughts,” Royal Oak Police Chief Michael Moore said in a statement.
Ong’s daughter, Kelley, shared a statement in a post on Facebook Sunday: “My father, David Ong, died tragically on Friday evening while protecting his cherished 3 year old granddaughter. The loss is immeasurable. Anyone who knows my dad knows that he is a gentle giant – a man of incredible kindness, love and faith. I’ve often said he is simply the best man I know.”
“He was a hero on Friday, but to me, he’s always been my hero.”
