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A tragic incident unfolded in Michigan over the weekend, leading to the arrest and charging of a 35-year-old nanny with murder. She stands accused of fatally stabbing an elderly grandfather multiple times while caring for a 3-year-old child in the home. Authorities have denied her bond.
Royal Oak police reported that Samantha Rae Booth appeared to be experiencing a “manic” episode when the child’s grandfather arrived to conduct a welfare check. This visit by the grandfather, identified as 83-year-old David Ong, turned deadly, leaving the family and community in shock.
Booth’s actions did not stop at the alleged murder. According to reports by FOX 11 Los Angeles, she evaded police when they responded to the scene, attacked another family member with a screwdriver, and inexplicably stripped naked. Upon her capture, authorities discovered suspected psychedelic mushrooms and marijuana in her possession.
The charges against Booth are severe and include first-degree murder, second-degree child abuse, and multiple counts of resisting, assaulting, or obstructing police. The child abuse charge highlights the gravity of the situation, as the alleged murder took place in the presence of the young child, a point underscored by the presiding judge.
David Ong, remembered by his family as a smiling, loving presence, was killed on October 24, 2025, while checking on his granddaughter in Royal Oak. His loss has left a deep void in the family, who shared their grief through social media.
According to police, the horrific incident began when the child’s mother, who was out of town on Friday, asked her father to check on her daughter as she was being cared for by the nanny. When she did not receive an update, the mother sent the child’s uncle to the home.
Police said that when the uncle entered the home, he heard noises coming from the basement. Upon going downstairs, he found the nanny in a “manic” state covered in blood, and the child’s grandfather, David Ong, lying on the floor with severe injuries. Ong received emergency medical care but ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
The uncle then grabbed the child, who was also in the basement, and tried to escape. He repeatedly fended off attacks from the nanny as he made his way out of the home, police said.
Booth allegedly followed them with a screwdriver, but the uncle and child eventually took shelter in a nearby home until police arrived.
Samantha Rae Booth is charged with first-degree murder and other crimes after allegedly stabbing 83-year-old David Ong to death in Royal Oak, Michigan, on Oct. 24, 2025. (Royal Oak Police Department)
Officials said Booth allegedly stopped chasing the uncle, dropped the screwdriver and stripped off her clothes before fleeing from responding police. She was reportedly found with blood on her hands and detained after a brief foot pursuit. Although she initially tried to escape, police said she was quickly apprehended.
The child and uncle sustained minor injuries and were taken to Corewell Hospital for evaluation, where they were treated and released shortly afterward, police said.
Authorities said Booth had looked after the child for two years previously without incident, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.
David Ong is seen in a family photo taken inside a home. Ong was fatally attacked while protecting his 3-year-old granddaughter, authorities said. (Ong family/Facebook)
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family as they cope with this tragic and senseless act of violence. No family should ever have to endure such loss, and we are keeping them in our thoughts,” Royal Oak Police Chief Michael Moore said in a statement.
Ong’s daughter, Kelley, shared a statement in a post on Facebook Sunday: “My father, David Ong, died tragically on Friday evening while protecting his cherished 3 year old granddaughter. The loss is immeasurable. Anyone who knows my dad knows that he is a gentle giant – a man of incredible kindness, love and faith. I’ve often said he is simply the best man I know.”
“He was a hero on Friday, but to me, he’s always been my hero.”