Mother accused of poisoning her baby and then 'mercy killing' the infant months later

NEWTON, N.C. (TCN) -- A 39-year-old mother is in custody on suspicion of killing her infant daughter after allegedly trying to poison the child nearly seven months ago.

According to the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, on the morning of Friday, July 12, deputies responded to Section House Road after receiving a call about a suspicious person. When they arrived, they noticed Megan Sattizahn, who appeared to be "disoriented." Multiple people witnessed Sattizahn walking along the road without clothing, WSOC-TV reports.

Deputies followed Sattizahn to her home and found a 9-month-old baby deceased. They suspected foul play and began investigating the child’s death. Sattizahn was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

Sattizahn reportedly described her daughter’s death as a "mercy killing." Sattizahn faces a charge of murder and remains held in the Catawba County Detention Facility without bond.

According to court documents reviewed by WSOC, Sattizahn allegedly attempted to poison her young daughter with prescription medicine in December because "God told her to." Law enforcement was reportedly never made aware of that incident.

In a separate case in 2017, Sattizahn allegedly picked up her 8-year-old daughter from school and went missing. She and the child were later found safe in Missouri.

The girl’s cause of death was not immediately released.

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