Tallahassee, Florida — On August, 5, 2014, a grandmother was charged with murdering her 7-year-old grandson while she was babysitting him.
According to reports, Mason Rhinehart and his brother were playing video games in their Lake Plantation home Tuesday when their grandmother interrupted and said, “I have a surprise for you.”
Martha White, 63, then took Mason, 7, into the bathroom and locked the door.
According to reports, Mason’s older brother, who is 8-years-old, told police he could hear his brother begin to cry. Mason then said, “I don’t want to die, please don’t kill me.”
The 8-year-old attempted to get into the bathroom, be he could not. He then called his father and hid.
Lieutenant James McQuaig, Public Information Officer with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, said they arrived at the residence to find the 7-year-old lying in a pool of blood on the bathroom floor. The boy had suffered multiple deep stab wounds to his chest. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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White fled the residence before police arrived.
According to reports, before White fled the home she grabbed a bottle of wine then turned to Mason’s brother and said, “I have a surprise for you too.”
White was found at the end of Valley Creek Drive, which is a dead end street. Lieutenant McQuaig said White was covered in blood.
Reports state that White had a bottle of wine and Xanax in her possession.
According to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, White showed little emotion when they arrested her and was uncooperative.
When asked why she did it, White said, “I was fed up with him.”
The investigation is ongoing.
Mason was heading into second grade at Killearn Lakes Elementary School.