Alabama woman charged in killing of son

HARTSELLE, Ala. — An Alabama woman has been charged in the killing of her 8-year-old son, who was found with a knife protruding from his chest, investigators said.

Jennifer Nicole Long, 41, of Hartselle, is charged with capital murder in the death of her son, the Morgan County sheriff’s office said in a statement. Investigators said they discovered the grisly scene Thursday morning when they responded to a 911 call about a reported stabbing, the sheriff’s office said.

A man with multiple stab wounds told arriving deputies that he had been stabbed by his daughter and was concerned for the safety of his 8-year-old grandson, an investigator said in a court document. When deputies got to the home, they encountered Long coming down the stairs and found the boy in a bedroom, according to the court filing.

“While deputies were detaining Long, she advised that the little boy was dead,” an investigator said in a statement to the court. “Deputies cleared the residence and located the juvenile victim lying in the bed of the master bedroom who had multiple stab wounds. Deputies observed a knife still protruding from the chest area (of the) victim’s body.”

John Brinkley, an attorney appointed by the court to represent Long, declined to comment.

Court records indicate that Long’s birthday was Thursday, the same day the stabbing was reported.

The sheriff’s office did not immediately release the boy’s name. News outlets reported he was in the third grade at Priceville Elementary School.

“It is with great sadness that we have lost one of our students in Morgan County. The student will be remembered for the joy he brought to his friends, classmates, and teachers,” Tracie Turrentine, the superintendent of the Morgan County school system, said in a statement to news outlets.