Kansas Woman Accused of Decapitating Ex-Boyfriend's Mother During Altercation

A Kansas woman is accused of decapitating her ex-boyfriend’s mother as the woman’s young grandson ran away and called for help.

Rachael Hilyard, 35, is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of 63-year-old Micki Davis, who was found decapitated in the garage of Hilyard’s home, a spokeswoman with the Wichita Police Department tells PEOPLE.

The spokeswoman says Davis and her 9-year-old grandson went to Hilyard’s Wichita home to pick up items belonging to her son - who had dated Hilyard - when an “altercation” erupted between the suspect and the victim.

“Her 9-year-old grandson ... he ran away from the house and called the police while the physical attack was happening. He did not see his grandma’s death, or the decapitation,” the spokeswoman tells PEOPLE.

Rachael Hilyard
Rachael Hilyard

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“He did see an altercation take place so he grabbed the grandma’s cell phone, ran away from the house and called 911,” the spokeswoman says.

Officers arrived to find Davis’ body in the garage and Hilyard allegedly hiding in the home, the spokesperson says.

Police do not know what was used to decapitate the woman, with the spokeswoman noting that the weapon was likely a “sharp object, possibly a knife.”

Hilyard is being held at the Sedgwick County Jail on $200,000 bail, jail records show. A Sedgwick County District Attorney’s spokesperson says Hilyard has not yet entered a plea or retained an attorney.

“She’s going to be incarcerated for the rest of her days. I hope she just sits in that jail and thinks about that. Hope it eats her alive,” Davis’ nephew, Casey Wallace, told KAKE. “And I hope Micki’s at peace.”

Wallace called the details of the killing “gruesome,” saying, “I’m just glad that little boy didn’t see all that.”

KAKE identified Davis’ son as Jacob Gillespie III, who is currently in jail on unrelated charges related to a March police chase.

Jail records show that Gillespie is being held at the Sedgwick County Jail on several charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal damage to property, fleeing and eluding authorities and more.

He is being held on $25,000 bail, jail records show. It was not immediately clear if he has retained a lawyer or entered a plea.

This article was originally published on PEOPLE.com