Mom Reportedly Beats Man to Death With a Baseball Bat After Suspecting He Molested a Child

Forsythia Owen of suburban Denver, Colo., was arrested on Monday after allegedly killing a homeless man she suspected of molesting a child. Rather than denying any connection to the case, an arrest affidavit says that the 30-year-old mother admitted to brutally beating 42-year-old Denzle Rainey to death with a baseball bat.

Rainey's body was found in an alleyway in Englewood, Colo., over the weekend with a subsequent autopsy showing that he died from blunt force trauma. Injuries included a skull fracture, and broken arms and ribs.

Forsythia Owen is accused of beating a homeless man to death (Photo Credit: Police Handout)

The attack apparently unfolded on Sunday after Owen allegedly went to the alley where the victim was sleeping to confront him. He later died at a local hospital.

"Owen stood up and said she killed him," the arrest affidavit reads. "Owen swung her hands back and forth and demonstrated how she struck Rainey over and over again because of what he did to [name redacted]."

It's unclear if the molestation claim is true, but, according to CBS News, the victim's widow, Lisa, told reporters that, despite suffering from alcoholism, her husband would have never harmed a child.

As the story goes, Rainey left home in the midst of his alcohol struggles, which is why he was sleeping in the alley. A Facebook profile that seemingly belongs to him details some of these struggles, with desperate messages and cries for help ringing out earlier this month:

A screen shot from the victim's Facebook page

"My husband is the most loveable, caring person that I know," his told KCNC-TV.

Now, understandably, Lisa wants answers.

"I just don't know why, what caused her to do this on Denzel, and if Denzel did anything to provoke it," the grieved wife continued. "I need to know the answers for closure for me and closure for my kids."

These elements will likely be addressed as investigators dig deeper into the case. Owen is currently in police custody and faces first-degree murder charges.

CBS News also notes that the woman has reportedly been arrested in the past for assault. Other sources claim that this 2002 incident involved a drugged victim, but the details are unclear; in 2004, Owen was reportedly arrested for a probation violation.

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