A 74-year-old Kentucky woman is dead, allegedly at the literal hands of her own grandson, with witnesses reporting to police that the teen became violent out of nowhere.
The Erlanger Police Department responded to an “active assault” call at approximately 2 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8, according to court documents seen by WDKY. Nearby Elsmere and Independence also responded to the call.
When they arrived, they found Wyatt Testerman, 18, of Independence, Kentucky outside the home, according to a press release posted to the Erlanger Police Department’s Facebook page.
Inside, police reported finding his grandmother, Cheri Oliver, alive but suffering from severe head trauma determined on the scene to be life-threatening. Emergency responders transported Oliver to a nearby hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she was pronounced dead.
An officer from Independence detained Testerman outside the home “immediately and without incident.”
According to the police, a “dispute between family members” had occurred on the Tuesday before the deadly attack. On that day, witnesses told law enforcement agents that Testerman “became violent for no apparent reason.”
He allegedly attacked Oliver multiple times with his fists, as well as a “metal drinking tumbler,” as described in the press release. Court documents state that Testerman confirmed witness accounts, admitting to attacking his grandmother.
In court on Wednesday morning, Testerman appeared stoic and without emotion, according to Fox affiliate WXIX, as Kenton County District Court Judge Annie Ruttle explained to him that he was being charged with murder and could face 20 years to life in prison.
She set his bond at $500,000. Despite him saying he could secure his own representation, Ruttle felt he didn’t seem sure of that himself, per WXIX, and so she appointed him a public defender.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, October 15.
