DAPHNE, Alabama — A quiet Sunday night in a suburban neighborhood turned into a scene of horror when a teenager allegedly grabbed a knife and attacked both of his parents — leaving his mother dead and his father desperately pounding on strangers’ doors to stay alive.
Deputies from the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office responded just before 9 p.m. to a home on Augustine Drive in Daphne, about 11 miles east of Mobile. They arrived to find both parents suffering from stab wounds.
Samantha Baker, 37, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband, Lance Baker, 46, was airlifted to a hospital where he remains in serious condition.
What Sparked the Attack
Authorities say the 17-year-old — whose name has not been released — turned violent during an argument about his parents disciplining him.
He allegedly grabbed a knife, stabbed his mother, then chased his father into a neighboring yard and stabbed him there too. After the attack, the teen locked himself in his bedroom and called 911. He was arrested when deputies arrived.
A Father’s Desperate Plea for Help
What neighbors witnessed that night is difficult to forget.
Lance Baker staggered from door to door after the attack, leaving bloody handprints across multiple homes as he knocked and called out for someone to help him.
One neighbor pulled up her home security camera and heard him screaming.
“Please help me. I don’t want to die,” he cried.
“He’s going house to house,” the neighbor recalled. “Hand prints — there’s blood on them all.”
The same neighbor said she believed the teen had suffered a mental breakdown, adding: “I never saw this coming. I was in shock.”
The Family’s Military Background
Both Samantha and Lance Baker served in the U.S. military. Lance is currently a battalion commander in the Army Reserve. Samantha served six years in the Army National Guard.
The teen is charged as an adult with murder and attempted murder. He is being held on a $1 million bond.
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