On March 30, 2022, 8-year-old Oliver Hitchcock was strangled by his mother, Natalia Hitchcock, in their Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin apartment while on spring break. The mother, who had no prior mental health diagnoses or criminal history, had become acutely psychotic in the days leading up to the incident, experiencing delusions and hallucinations related to the Russia-Ukraine war, including beliefs that the Russian government would abduct and abuse her children and that her husband was selling them on the dark web. She placed both hands around her son's neck and squeezed until he stopped breathing, stating she did so to protect him from being abused. The day before, she had attempted to drown her 11-year-old son by holding him underwater in the bathtub. The father discovered the 8-year-old unconscious after being alerted by the older sibling, attempted CPR, and called 911. The child was transported to Children's Hospital in Milwaukee, where he was pronounced dead on April 1, 2022. The mother also attempted suicide by self-inflicted stabbing and Tylenol ingestion. She was ultimately found not guilty due to mental disease and was committed to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for life.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
The TMJ4 article describes that the mother attempted to drown the 11-year-old sibling in the bathtub the day before the fatal incident. The child stated his mother asked him to put his head under water and "he could feel his mother's hands on him, pushing him down. He said it felt like her whole body was pushing him down." The ABC7 article also states investigators said "Hitchcock strangled and killed her 8-year-old son Oliver and tried to drown her other son."
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The TMJ4 news article states: "She said that she placed both hands around Victim 1's neck and squeezed as hard as she could until Victim 1 stopped breathing." The same article also reports that "officers found bruising around his neck consistent with strangulation." The fatality report states the agency substantiated "maltreatment of physical abuse to the child by the mother" and that "Medical professionals determined the child died as a result of a serious injury." The Sheboygan Press article confirms the child was strangled.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The TMJ4 article describes that after strangling her son, the mother attempted to take her own life. She "grabbed a kitchen knife and began to stab herself in the chest" and "she already had so much Tylenol in her system and thought she was just going to go to sleep." The Sheboygan Press article confirms she "tried to take her own life and had a 'critical amount' of Tylenol in her system." This constitutes a murder-suicide attempt where the murder was completed but the suicide was unsuccessful.
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
All documents confirm the biological mother was responsible for the child's death. The fatality report states the agency substantiated "maltreatment of physical abuse to the child by the mother" and the mother was charged with "1st-Degree Intentional Homicide." The TMJ4 article describes the mother strangling the child. The Sheboygan Press article confirms she "admitted to killing her son" and was found not guilty by reason of mental disease.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The fatality report states the mother "was criminally charged with 1st-Degree Intentional Homicide and Attempted 1st-Degree Intentional Homicide." All news articles confirm the charges. The Sheboygan Press article describes the outcome: the judge found Natalia Hitchcock not guilty due to mental disease and committed her to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for life.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The TMJ4 article describes the mother's violence toward other household members during and around the incident. The father told police she had "surges of rages." The father also stated "she had tried to attack him" and that she was "walking around the apartment with a knife, looking dazed, and saying she was going to kill everyone in the house." The day before the homicide, the mother also attempted to hold the 11-year-old son underwater in the bathtub.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The mental health of the mother is extensively referenced across multiple documents. The TMJ4 article describes her telling police that "someone was controlling her mind," she "heard voices in her head," and "she began to have thoughts that the Russian government was going to take her children and abuse them." She also believed her husband "was trying to sell her and the boys to the dark web." The ABC7 article notes: "There is an issue of competency in this case." The Sheboygan Press article states the judge found she "became acutely psychotic to the point that she, based on delusions and hallucinations, took the life of her own child" and she was found "not guilty due to a mental disease." She was committed to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for life.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The TMJ4 article states that the father told police "the mother had been drinking" and "she started to drink alcohol." Additionally, the mother had ingested Tylenol as a suicide attempt; the TMJ4 article quotes her as saying "she already had so much Tylenol in her system," and the Sheboygan Press article confirms she had "a 'critical amount' of Tylenol in her system."
Notable Details
Several notable details emerged. The Sheboygan Press article reports the mother was found "not guilty due to a mental disease" and was committed to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for life rather than being criminally convicted. The attempted first-degree intentional homicide charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. The mother had no prior mental health diagnoses before the incident, yet the judge found she "became acutely psychotic to the point that she, based on delusions and hallucinations, took the life of her own child." Multiple sources indicate the Russia-Ukraine war served as a significant trigger for her psychotic break; the TMJ4 article describes how the father said "he felt the war between Russia and Ukraine amped up Hitchcock more than ever" and she feared the Russian government would take and abuse her children. The ABC7 article notes the defense attorney stated "Prior to this, the defendant had no prior record in the criminal justice system," and the fatality report confirms no prior CPS involvement. The fatality report also notes the case remained open with voluntary CPS services for the surviving sibling.
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