81-Year-Old Woman Stabbed To Death In Michigan Home Identified By Police

The woman who was found stabbed to death in her home in Battle Creek, Michigan, last week has been identified by police.

Battle Creek police identified the victim as 81-year-old Betty Smith, WOOD-TV reported.

Police responded to a home on West Fountain Street near Caroline Street at around 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 22 after relatives of Smith found her unresponsive, MLive reported.

Officers confirmed that she was stabbed multiple times.

Smith’s death was ruled a homicide, and the investigation into the case is ongoing. As of this writing, police have no leads on a suspect yet.

Neighbors said they could not imagine who might want to hurt the 81-year-old woman, who they said was kind and had a big heart, according to WOOD-TV.

The neighbors added that Smith could not walk and needed the aid of a power chair to get around, according to the outlet.

Battle Creek police are now seeking the help of the public for any information related to Smith’s case. Those with leads are encouraged to contact them at 269-966-3322 or Silent Observer at 269-964-3888.

In related news, a woman was found guilty on Oct. 21 of second-degree murder for killing a man inside the apartment they shared in Battle Creek in 2020.

Rose Derrick, 67, was charged with the murder of Walter May after a two-day trial, WWMT reported, citing the Calhoun County Prosecuting Attorney.

On Dec. 14, 2020, emergency personnel responded to the apartment on College Street, where they found May unresponsive, according to officials.

At the time, Derrick alleged that May was having difficulty breathing. He was later pronounced dead.

A day before his death, May had been released from the hospital after reportedly getting stabbed in the chest on Dec. 5 of that year. He had stated at the time that he did not know how he was stabbed, officials said.

However, an autopsy found that May was stabbed a second time, and this injury was bandaged like the other wound.

Police found a knife and bloody clothing that belonged to Derrick inside her and May’s apartment. The blood on her clothes was identified as May’s, but Derrick alleged she did not know how May was stabbed, according to officials.

Derrick is expected to be sentenced on Nov. 28. She faces a maximum penalty of up to life in prison for second-degree murder.