A 29-year-old D.C. woman facing murder and child cruelty charges after the death of her 7-year-old daughter has changed her story.
Carlese Hall, wearing no clothing, flagged down police officers Friday morning and led them to a burning house in the 3300 block of 11th Place Southeast, where police found her daughter, Amari Hall, suffering from stab wounds inside, authorities said. She was taken to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Carlese Hall was hospitalized with wounds that appear to be self-inflicted, police said. Police believe she stabbed her daughter and herself.
Hall told police at the scene that she had killed her daughter and set the house on fire, according to court documents. After her arrest, Hall changed her story, telling detectives that an unknown person broke into the house, stabbed her and her daughter, and spread an accelerant inside the home.
When asked to talk about the incident again, she told police she was too tired to discuss it.
After her arrest, Hall tested positive for PCP.
Hall was known to D.C. Child and Family Services, sources told WRC. In 2005, there were reports of child abuse and arguing. In 2006, there were reports of a child missing 14 days of school. Those complaints were investigated and found to be unsubstantiated, District officials said.
A candlelight vigil for Amari was held in Congress Heights Monday night, which would have been her eighth birthday.
Two other area mothers have been accused of killing their children in the past year or so. Two of Renee Bowman's three adopted daughters were found dead in a freezer in a home in Lusby, Md. The girls died from asphyxiation, according to the medical examiner. Banita Jacks is charged in the deaths of her four daughters, who were found dead about a year ago in their southeast D.C. home.
