Mom Drugged Son Unconscious and Slit His Throat the Day Before His Birthday — Then Claimed He Had 'Death Wish' By KC Baker

A Michigan mother admitted she gave her teenage son a “mind-altering substance” and fatally stabbed him the day before his 18th birthday to help him fulfill what she claimed was a “death wish.”

Katie Austin Lee, 40, of Holland, pleaded guilty Wednesday, Oct. 22, in Ottawa County Circuit Court to second-degree murder, torture, and assaulting, resisting and obstructing a police officer in connection with the stabbing death of her son, Austin Dean Pikaart, 17, online court records show.

Lee cried as she admitted to giving her son a “drug or sedative” before slicing his wrist and throat, according to a video shown on Fox17.

Lee was set to stand trial but entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors before it began, MLive.com reports.

As part of the plea agreement, she faces between 60 and 90 years behind bars when she is sentenced on Jan. 19. She initially faced a first-degree murder charge, which carries a mandatory penalty of life in prison without parole.

During the hearing, Ottawa County Circuit Judge Jon Hulsing explained to her that once he accepted her plea, she would not be eligible for parole until she was “over 100. Do you understand?” according to a video of the hearing shown on Fox17.

She said yes, crying as she answered.

As PEOPLE previously reported, the grisly crime came to authorities’ attention at 4:15 a.m. on Feb. 21, when Lee called 911 to report a stabbing at her unit in the Bay Pointe Apartments, the Holland, Mich., Department of Public Safety said in a news release at the time.

“The caller Katie Lee told dispatch that she couldn’t get her son to stop breathing,” Det. Sgt. Brent Sluiter said in warrants, according to a transcript of the hearing, MLive.com reports.

The dispatcher asked, “He won’t stop what?” according to a warrant obtained by WZZM.

She told the dispatcher she “had been trying to for a while” to stop his breathing, according to the warrant. He asked her to do this “because he did not want to turn 18,” she claimed.

When officers got to her apartment, they were “immediately confronted” by Lee, who was reportedly holding a knife, according to the warrant obtained by WZZM.

Officers had to use a Taser on Lee before apprehending her because she refused to drop the knife, it said.

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Inside the apartment, officers found the body of her son, who according to an autopsy died from a large cut to his throat, the warrant said, WZZM reports.

She told officers to kill her “so she could be with her son,” according to the warrant obtained by WZZM.

In a GoFundMe organized by Alisa Pikaart, she wrote that her nephew “was caring, humorous, playful and most of all, loved and cared for his family and friends.

“He loved video games and all things ‘space’ and ‘galaxy’ themed, and someday we plan to launch his ashes into space on an actual rocket ship for his final destination! It was truly an honor to have known him, and he will be deeply missed.”

Lee’s attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.