South Carolina Mother Faces Four Charges After Son's Call Leads to Siblings Found With About 50 Stab Wounds

South Carolina mother Taylor Gosnell faces four criminal charges after her son's call saying he was hungry led to the discovery of her two children with about 50 stab wounds between them at their Spartanburg County home on 26 September.

Investigators allege the attack happened overnight before the six-year-old called his grandmother. Gosnell, 35, faces two counts of attempted murder and two weapons charges involving him and his three-year-old sibling, according to the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office.

Warrants Against South Carolina Mother

Arrest warrants allege Gosnell struck the children with a baseball bat and a circular knife, causing severe injuries. The documents accuse her of attacking the siblings with the intent to kill them. These allegations underpin the two attempted murder charges brought against her.

Investigators later obtained two further warrants for possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Those documents allege Gosnell possessed the weapons during the attempted murders.

The additional weapons warrants took the number of charges from two to four, with both sets concerning the alleged attack on the children.

The six-year-old's contact with his grandmother set off the response that brought deputies to the home. On Saturday 26 September, he told her Gosnell was not there and that he and his younger sibling were hungry, the sheriff's office said. His grandmother then contacted a friend of Gosnell.

The grandmother and the friend went to the home together. There, they found the children with severe injuries and immediately dialled 911.

Deputies who arrived shortly after 2.30pm found numerous items damaged or broken inside the residence, which authorities described as being in disarray. Investigators placed the alleged attack in the preceding overnight hours.

Investigators said the children had approximately 50 stab wounds between them, including injuries that penetrated to the bone. The figure given by investigators was a combined total for the siblings, rather than 50 stab wounds suffered by each child.

Both children were initially taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center before being transferred to Prisma Health Children's Hospital in Greenville. They remained hospitalised, and authorities said additional surgeries were expected. The children were also placed in protective custody.

South Carolina Mother's Hospital Evaluation

Gosnell returned to the home while deputies were still there, according to the sheriff's office. After observing behaviour that raised concerns about her immediate wellbeing, deputies arranged for her to be taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center for an evaluation.

Before being transported to hospital, Gosnell attempted to run from the ambulance, authorities said. She had to be restrained. Gosnell was later medically cleared and released from the hospital shortly afterwards, according to the sheriff's office.

Investigators subsequently attempted to interview Gosnell about the alleged attack. She requested a lawyer, and the sheriff's office said no interview was conducted after that request. The attempted questioning followed her release from hospital.

Gosnell was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Facility shortly before midnight on 26 September. Her booking came on the same Saturday her son had called his grandmother and the children had been taken for hospital treatment.

She was denied bond on both attempted murder charges. Gosnell has not been convicted, and the charges against her remain allegations.