It would take extraordinary circumstances for a mom to murder her own child. By all accounts, this Michigan mother loved her adult son and showed no signs that she would ever commit violence against him. And yet Donna Scrivo is suspected of killing and dismembering her son, 32-year-old Ramsay. She's been charged with mutilating and illegally moving the body of her dead son. No murder charges have been brought against her yet, but police say they are still investigating and plan to bring more charges soon. One thing they'll need to find is a motive. What would possibly cause a mother to murder her own son?
Here's what police know so far: On January 27, Donna Scrivo reported her son missing. She said he'd left home the day before and had never returned. Three days later, Ramsay Scrivio's body was discovered after someone reported finding plastic garbage bags along a road. Police eventually found the rest of Ramsay's remains (in more plastic bags) in three other locations in the area. Some of the bags contained clothes and charred remains of documents, not body parts. Witnesses saw Scrivo carrying black plastic bags out of her son's home, and surveillance cameras show her near the area where the bags were left.
Donna Scrivo was staying in her son's condo after fire damage in her own home. Ramsay had been struggling with serious psychological problems. He became depressed during his father's battle with a terminal illness. After his father died, he became paranoid, delusional, and suicidal. Donna became his guardian, then had him hospitalized for a time (Ramsay agreed to this). He refused to take his medication. There were altercations with the police, and he was arrested for assault. A court file says his anger "had escalated to unsafe levels."
It looks like Ramsay had become dangerous, both to himself and to others. I wonder if he attacked his mother? Could this be a case of self-defense? Friends and family say they're shocked at the idea that Donna would kill her son. I feel like there's still much more to this story than we know. I want to believe Donna is not a baffling, cold-blooded killer, but a desperate mother who didn't know what else to do when she found herself in a dangerous situation. I guess we'll find out when police finish their investigation and she (or someone) answers to charges in court.
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
What do you think might have happened with Donna and Ramsay Scrivo?
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