Canton Twp. teen charged in fatal stabbing of grandmother

Canton Township — A 14-year-old Canton Township girl has been charged with first- and second-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of her grandmother.

According to authorities, township police officers responded at 7:15 a.m. Monday to a call of an injured woman at a home in the 4150 block of Kimberly Drive. The body of Cynthia Mosby, 65, of Canton Township, was found lying face down on a bedroom floor and had multiple stab wounds.

Mosby's body was found by her son, and the girl was not in the house at the time, authorities said.

"We extend our deepest condolences to Cynthia Mosby's family," said Chad Baugh, Canton's director of police services. "Our police officers and detectives have worked tirelessly to identify the tragic circumstances of her death.”

The prosecutor's office said after the stabbing, the girl checked into a motel in Southgate. Canton investigators took her into custody Monday afternoon from that location.

The girl has not been arraigned and is not being charged as an adult but has been adult designated. The designation allows the judge to have the option of sentencing the accused as a juvenile, or as an adult, or as a blended juvenile with the option of imposing an adult sentence if the juvenile is not rehabilitated.

“The fatal stabbing of Ms. Mosby is very sad and disturbing. Ms. Mosby was a nurse who was raising her granddaughter. Our prayers go out to her son and family,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement. 

“In this case, the 14-year-old girl is being adult designated because upon conviction it gives the judge the most flexibility during sentencing to provide options for rehabilitation of this very troubled youth.”

The girl is being held at the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility and has been referred for competency and criminal responsibility evaluations. She is scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. for arraignment and a continued hearing on competency.