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Left: Keyona Dillon (Baltimore County). Right: London Olsen (Facebook/family).
A Maryland woman is behind bars for the strangulation death of her 11-year-old daughter after previously killing the family’s pets in order to frighten the child, police in the Old Line State say.
Keyona Dillon, 34, stands accused of one count of murder in the first degree, according to the Baltimore County Police Department.
The allegations against the mother of four are gruesome and bizarre.
The defendant was arrested on Thursday after she went to a neighbor’s home in Middle River — a census-designated place and part of the broader Baltimore metro area. There, Dillon allegedly said her daughter, London Olsen, 11, was dead in the family’s basement.
Just before noon that day, officers arrived in response to a 911 call about a cardiac arrest, according to charging documents obtained by The Baltimore Banner and Baltimore-based NBC affiliate WBAL.
Inside the house on Firethorn Road, the little girl was found with blood around her mouth and bruises all over her body. Officers described finding a ligature mark on the child’s neck as well as blood on the floor near her body, according to Baltimore-based Fox affiliate WBFF.
Police believe a plastic drain cleaner was used to strangle London.
The defendant is said to have acted erratically when questioned about the child’s death, according to law enforcement.
“Keyona Dillon was transported to BCoPD Headquarters to be interviewed, at which time she continued to display erratic behavior including exclamations about exposing child sex rings, transexuals, and the Proud Boys,” a statement of probable cause reads. “Keyona Dillon acted erratically and made statements about groups trying to set her up.”
Later, the narrative surrounding the girl’s death became clearer.
“She believes that her eleven-year-old daughter … has been having sexual relations with the father of her other three children,” the charging documents continued. “Detectives did not find any evidence that Olsen was the victim of any type of sexual abuse and it should also be noted that detectives did not find any evidence of forced entry into the house nor had there been anyone else in the house other than Keyona Dillon and her children, including London Olsen.”
Officers also found four dead pets inside the residence — one dead dog, one dead rabbit, and two dead cats.
Dillon admittedly killed the animals to threaten London about “what would happen to her if she didn’t tell the truth” about the contrived relationship with the girl’s father, police allege.
In a police interview, the defendant’s 5-year-old daughter confirmed that she saw her mother use a hammer and her knee to kill the family’s pets the night before the murder, police say. The 5-year-old also allegedly said she saw her mother choking London in the basement.
At a bail hearing on Friday, the defendant made several claims and demands.
“I’m representing myself,” Dillon reportedly said. “Y’all violated my rights. I am an indigenous sovereign of the land. You collected DNA without my permission. You are violating my rights.”
She also turned down legal aid.
“I do not want to be represented by a public defender,” Dillon continued. “I want to represent myself.”
The judge overseeing matter concluded the hearing by ordering a mental evaluation.
In a Facebook post, the dead girl’s aunt relayed a frustrating story about calling child welfare authorities for help — for days — after allegedly noticing increasingly alarming behavior exhibited by Dillon in the days before the killing.
“I made numerous calls to local agencies and was repeatedly rerouted,” the girl’s aunt wrote. “On January 22, 2025, someone within child protective services finally assisted in initiating a welfare check. Tragically, it was too late — London was found the following day. I am reaching out to you to help shed light on this matter. I am seeking to understand why immediate action was not taken despite clear signs of a crisis and my repeated efforts to secure help. My niece’s death might have been prevented had intervention occurred sooner.”
The defendant is being detained without bond in the Baltimore County Detention Center.
