Natalia Aleksandrovna Hitchcock is accused of strangling her 8-year-old son Oliver Hitchcock to death in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin.
According to Fox6, the boy was assaulted inside his home at Plank Trail Apartments in Sheboygan Falls. He lived initially, but he later died in the hospital.
Natalia Hitchcock’s name appears on the in-custody list for the Sheboygan County Jail. The 41-year-old woman appeared in court for the first time on April 5, 2022. The death of the young boy in his own home — police say at the hands of his mother — has left the community heartbroken.
The criminal complaint accuses Hitchcock, who is from Russia and whose husband is from Ukraine, of mentally deteriorating and growing enraged over the war between Ukraine and Russia, becoming increasingly worried about being attacked and wanting to have “survival gear.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Hitchcock, Who Is Accused of Intentionally Murdering Oliver, Said in Court, ‘I’m So Sorry’
Sheboygan County Sheriff’s DepartmentNatalia Hitchcock’s mug shot.
In court, Hitchcock turned to Oliver’s father, her husband, and said, “I’m so sorry. … I don’t know what happened,” according to Fox6.
The criminal complaint says that when police responded to the apartment, they found the boy lying on his back, bluish in color. They saw bruises on his neck that led them to believe he was strangled, according to the document. A man who was not identified told officers to “get in here,” the complaint says, and told police Hitchcock “tried to stab me” and had a knife. He said she stabbed herself. Hitchcock was found in a bedroom, according to the complaint, and there was an 11-year-old child also in the apartment.
The complaint said the witness told police he and Hitchcock were married 15 years and lived together with the kids in the apartment, but she had “surges of rage” and “he recently noted that she had been drinking vodka.”
The complaint says that her mother lived in Russia and he was worried about her mental state as a result of the war between Russia and Ukraine. She wanted to purchase survival gear, including guns, which he rejected, but he bought additional food and a camping stove so she would feel safe.
She was upset that she couldn’t fly to Russia to see her parents, the witness told police. She was worried about being attacked, the complaint alleges.
The witness told police that the kids were home from spring break and playing on the computer. He took a nap and his older boy woke him up to say, “Oliver is dead.” When he ran to the boy’s room, he said Hitchcock told him, “I killed Oliver” and started walking around with a knife threatening to kill everyone. She claimed to officers that she “cut her heart” and that “someone was controlling her mind and she had been poisoned” and that she “had a brain fog,” adding, “I suffocate him,” referring to Oliver and saying she “did not want him to be abused,” the complaint alleges.
The complaint alleges that Hitchcock claimed she heard voices and hadn’t slept more than eight hours in five days and drank orange juice with half of the pills from a Tylenol bottle so she would “never wake up.” The complaint alleges she admitted that she used both hands to strangle Oliver.
Hitchcock was accused of “1st Degree Intentional Homicide in the death of Oliver Hitchcock” as well as an attempted homicide charge.
According to WBAY-TV, the second count “refers to another incident that occurred in the home before Wednesday’s assault, but was never reported to them.”
Police Chief Eric Miller wrote:
With great remorse and a heavy heart, I have to report that the victim in this case, eight-year-old Oliver Hitchcock, passed away at 2:55 pm Friday, April 1, 2022, due to his injuries sustained in the assault on March 30, 2022.
We know the first responders from Sheboygan Falls, Orange Cross Ambulance, the doctors, and staff at Saint Nicolas Hospital in Sheboygan and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin did everything to save Oliver.
With this revelation, the requested charges against Oliver’s mother have been changed to include one count of first-degree intentional homicide and one count of attempted intentional homicide. A criminal complaint with more detail is expected early next week. We cannot provide any more detail to the second count, as the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department is the leading the investigating agency and the details will be provided in the criminal complaint. Since the mother has not been criminally charged, we will not be releasing her name. We are not looking at any other suspects in this case.
Since Oliver was a student at Sheboygan Falls Elementary School, we worked with the Sheboygan Falls School District since the night of the incident. They are prepared to offer extra staff and counselors starting Monday morning. We encourage parents of the district to speak with their children and ensure their mental health.
On behalf of the City of Sheboygan Falls and its residents, we offer condolences and prayers to the family of Oliver Hitchcock. This tragedy is not anything any family should have to endure. We are taking steps to ensure the mental health of our first responders and officers and thank the community for their support over the past several days.
Initially, police wrote:
This media release is an update of information regarding the incident that occurred on March 30, 2022, at 1110 Plank Trail Lane:
As of 11:00 am today, the child victim, in this case, remains a patient at Children’s Hospital in Wauwatosa. He remains in critical condition.The child’s mother was released from a local hospital early this afternoon and transported to the Sheboygan County Jail, where she was booked on two charges of Attempted Intentional Homicide. The second charge stems from information obtained by witnesses of an unreported previous incident. As of 1:30 pm today, she has not been charged by the Sheboygan County District Attorney’s Office, so there is no criminal complaint available, nor will her name be released.
The members of the Police and Fire Department, City Employees, along with the community, continue to pray for the recovery of the victim in this case.
2. The Mother, Who Is From Russia & Worked at Kohl’s, Appeared in Court for the First Time
According to her Facebook page, Hitchcock is a “computer graphic designer at Etsy” and a retail associate at Kohl’s who lives in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and is from St. Petersburg, Russia. She posted on Facebook about going on a trip to Colorado in November. In March, she wrote, “We love our beautiful planet! We need balance and peace! :)))”
Hitchcock appeared in court for the first time on April 5, 2022. Family members of Oliver broke into tears during the hearing.
An attorney for Hitchcock requested a competency evaluation for her. Prosecutors asked that Hitchcock maintain absolute sobriety and not have contact with juveniles or leave the state of Wisconsin.
“The defendant is charged with the most serious crime,” said the prosecutor, who said she was an “extreme risk of flight.” Prosecutors said no controlled substances were found in the home, and they were most concerned about alcohol.
3. The Family Is in ‘Deep Turmoil’
There is a GoFundMe page to help Oliver’s family. It reads:
We, Oliver’s family, have been in deep turmoil over the last few days as we struggle to come to grips with the senseless and inconceivable act of a mother harming her own son. No one should suffer at the hands of a parent – the person whose job it is to protect a child and keep him from harm. With no history of aggression or abuse, we are left with nothing but questions as to why and how this could happen.
We hope that justice is fair and swift, but most importantly we hope that our family can find a way to heal from this unbelievable tragedy. We are broken and our grief is profound. Any single parent knows that caring for a child on their own is no easy task, so the added burden of grieving over the sudden and tragic loss of a child while staying strong for a son creates an exponential burden.
Jeff has always believed that his son Oliver was destined to do great things. Oliver, in his short life, has absolutely accomplished the extraordinary. In a noble and selfless act, Jeff made the heartbreaking and heroic decision to allow Oliver’s organs to be donated. The doctors at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin found four matches: kidneys, liver, pancreas and heart. On the absolute worst day of Jeff’s life, he gave four different families their very best days. Most of us only get the chance to go through life once. Oliver will live on through his donations and our family will always be proud of Jeff for being able to reach beyond his grief and find the level of kindness in his heart to bring joy to others.
We appreciate the efforts of the first responders, Chief Miller and the entire Sheboygan Falls Police and Fire Department, Sheboygan county Sheriff and the medical staff at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin – all who gave their best to try to save Oliver.
We know that the community is grieving with us. We are overwhelmed by the show of love and support for our sweet, gentle Oliver. We appreciate the extra effort made in organizing the effort to wear purple, the candlelight vigil next Sunday evening and all the kind words and efforts of support. It is through these kind and heartfelt deeds we find strength to continue moving forward.
4. Hitchcock Has No Prior Record
Attorneys revealed in court that Hitchcock has no prior criminal history. No prior cases come up for her on the online court website.
On the GoFundMe page, there is also this statement:
Hi. My name is Eric, and my brother Jeff needs help.
Through a series of incredibly tragic events, Jeff lost his 8 year old son, Oliver, and became a single dad of his other son, 11 year old Leo. Jeff is a hard-working man who loves his family and works as an over the road truck driver.
Any single parent knows that caring for a child on their own is no easy task, so the added burden of grieving over the sudden and tragic loss of a child while staying strong for his son creates an exponential burden.
Your donations will help Jeff and Leo through the most difficult days, weeks and months ahead as they begin to cope with a life that has been turned upside-down by a senseless act of violence.
Please help Jeff and Leo! Your donation will help them navigate this very difficult road they have ahead of them. Any amount helps. Thank you and God bless you.
5. Hitchcock’s Bail Was Set at $1 Million; the Boy’s Father Posted a Photo of Oliver in His Hospital Bed
A court commissioner set Hitchcock’s bail at $1 million.
Jeff Hitchcock, the boy’s father, posted a photo of Oliver in his hospital bed. The father wrote on Facebook that he is from Ukraine, studied at Boston Conservatory and works at SurFXwave Solutions.
He has also posted about community vigils for Oliver.
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