Sheboygan Falls mom pleads insanity to killing 8-year-old son

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (WBAY) - The Sheboygan Falls woman charged with killing her 8-year-old son in March entered a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect -- Wisconsin’s insanity plea -- to two charges against her.

Prosecutors say Natalia Hitchcock is charged with 1st Degree Intentional Homicide and Attempted 1st Degree Intentional Homicide. Prosecutors say she strangled her youngest son, Oliver, and held her 11-year-old son under water in the bathtub.

According to the criminal complaint, on March 30, the 11-year-old woke his father and said his brother was dead. The husband found Oliver on the bedroom floor. Natalia said, “I killed Oliver,” and walked around the apartment in a daze, holding a knife, “saying she was going to kill everyone in the house.”

As we’ve reported, Hitchcock’s husband told investigators his wife had a violent temper and “surges of rage.” He said Natalia’s mother lived in Russia, and Natalia’s rage worsened with news of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and television coverage of the war, and she started drinking. She talked about buying survival gear and knives and guns.

Hitchcock told police she had been poisoned and her mind was being controlled. She described it as a brain fog, and said she was trying to save her sons from people on “the dark web.”

In September, Hitchcock was found competent to stand trial. Hitchcock’s defense hired an independent evaluator to report on her mental competency. The evaluator found her to be competent, according to court records. The state’s expert also found Hitchcock competent.

Hitchcock is being held on a $1 million cash bond.

Her next court date is on January 3.