09-04-2025
Two teens arrested in mother's stabbing at rental vacation home in Utah
Two teens arrested in mother's stabbing at rental vacation home in Utah
Two teenagers have been charged with murder in the death of a woman − a mother of one of the teens − who was vacationing in southern Utah last month.
The two teenagers, ages 16 and 17, have been charged with the first-degree murder of 47-year-old Andreea Mottram on March 23, the Washington City Police Department shared on Friday, April 4. The teenagers are also facing charges of second-degree obstruction of justice and motor vehicle theft. They will be charged as adults.
On the morning of March 23, police responded to a call from cleaners at a VRBO rental home in Washington City, Utah about the presence of a dead body. Washington City is about 124 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Upon arriving to the home, police discovered Mottram's body, stabbed 14 times, according to court documents. She had been in the rental home for three days before she was killed.
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Police believe the teens and Mottram were the sole occupants of the rental home, and during their search, police determined there were no signs of forced entry.
In the rental home, police found two cell phones and a purse linked to the teens. They also found a knife in the sink that had been washed off. However, traces of blood were found on the knife, court documents state. A pair of balled up pants with blood stains were also found inside the home.
After the killing, police said the teens stole a rented Hyundai Kona under Mottram's name and fled Washington City.
USA TODAY is not naming the teenagers because they are minors. Information on their legal representation was not immediately available.
The teens are believed to be romantic partners, as outlined by court documents.
A man identified as "Frank" in court documents told police the 16-year-old had a history of violent behavior and self-harm. In November 2024 he had found a diary written by the teen that indicated "how much she hated her mother and wrote that she wanted to kill her," court documents state.
The teens had both been in residential treatment facilities, which provide health care for individuals with substance abuse disorders, mental illness or other behavior problems, according to court documents. The 16-year-old had been in a facility for three years. The 17-year-old was in a facility for one year before recently being removed by parents, court documents said. It is unclear if the two teenagers were at the same residential treatment facility.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
