A 29-year-old woman from Wisconsin, Lauren Spors, is currently in custody after allegedly murdering her mother with a four-pound rock, according to local law enforcement. Spors is facing charges of first-degree intentional homicide and domestic abuse – threat, as reported by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident occurred on October 12, when the victim, 64-year-old Carrie Zettel, dialed 911 to report her daughter’s violent behavior. By the time officers arrived at their West Ramsey Avenue residence around 2:20 p.m., they found Zettel covered in blood and suffering from severe head trauma, with brain matter visible.
Zettel was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after the police arrived. Investigators found a large, blood-stained rock near Zettel’s body and noticed that Spors was also covered in blood. It is believed that Spors was soaked in her mother’s blood during the attack.
Additional evidence supporting the arrest came from another 911 caller who reported seeing Spors standing over her mother in the backyard, holding a large object, and repeatedly striking the victim. This account was included in a criminal complaint obtained by a local Fox affiliate.
The violent act did not come as a surprise to some. Loretta Moyer, a close friend of Zettel, revealed that Zettel suspected her daughter of killing her own father in January 2018. Zettel had previously reported to the police that her daughter had hit Jeffrey Spors over the head with two glass bottles. However, law enforcement did not charge Lauren Spors due to the deceased man’s known history of overmedicating on pain prescriptions.
Following her father’s death, Lauren Spors was served with a domestic violence restraining order, prohibiting her from contacting her mother. Despite this, she allegedly violated the order twice, but was deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial each time.
In the years leading up to the incident, Zettel had expressed fear for her life due to her daughter’s recurring legal issues and mental health struggles. Moyer shared that Zettel had made a hauntingly accurate prediction about her own death, stating, “Maybe if she kills me, she’ll get the help she needs.”
On the day of her death, Zettel left a voicemail for Moyer, expressing her fear as her daughter was pounding on the doors and windows of her home. Despite police efforts to locate Spors, she was not apprehended until after the fatal incident.
Lauren Spors is currently being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on a $100,000 bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for November 21.