Former client remembers Wichita therapist Anita Avers as her daughter is charged in her death
By Sydney Ferguson
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WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) — Tuesday, prosecutors formally charged a former news anchor in the stabbing death of her mother at a south Wichita home on Friday morning. We’re learning more about her mother, who was a marriage and family therapist in Wichita, as clients say they want her to be remembered for who she was.
Sedgwick County court records show a charge of intentional and premeditated first-degree murder was filed against Angelynn Mock on Tuesday. She made her first court appearance that afternoon.
Alexandra Brewer was one of many clients who commented on KAKE News posts to express their sadness at 80-year-old Anita Avers’ passing, trying to make it clear how helpful she was to them.
“I never expected to hear something like that, especially because no one deserves that ever,” said Brewer. “It was just so shocking, because of who she was and because of how she was as a human and her age.”
Brewer struggled to describe the shock of learning that her therapist of over a year, Avers, was stabbed to death in her Wichita home, police say, by her own daughter.
Brewer describes Avers as a wise and empathetic guide — one she grew close to while seeing her for marriage counseling during her engagement. She says she was supposed to see Avers at Wichita Counseling Professionals on Rock Road just last week, but she never scheduled it.
“I just was behind on the homework she gave me,” said Brewer. “She was just very warm, very loving, and had a way of just making you feel compassionate towards yourself.”
Brewer says Avers was extremely professional — so much so, she never knew if the woman had any issues with her daughter.
“If she was teaching from experience, she wasn’t letting you know that was from experience. She just– she just was there for you,” said Brewer, now having to grapple with the fact she won’t be.
Investigators say when they showed up to Avers’ home in South Wichita on Friday, they found her daughter, Angelynn Mock, outside with cuts on her hands, and Avers in bed with multiple stab wounds.
Mock is a former TV news anchor who worked in Oklahoma City and St. Louis. Her LinkedIn says she left the business in 2015.
Tuesday Mock appeared in court for the first time, facing charges of intentional and premeditated first-degree murder. Brewer says it’s too soon to feel relieved about it.
“I just wish that everyone could see that part of Anita, not just this tragic ending. I wish you could see the rest of what made her, her,” Brewer said.
Brewer says Avers’ teachings made her a better parent and will have a lasting impact on her family and the families of all of her clients.
“When someone like her passes, it’s like, ‘oh,’ you know, ‘that’s the end of a life,’ but really, her impact is going to be something that just continues to go on throughout generations,” said Brewer.
She says Avers was like a grandma — strong in her faith with a genuine love for her clients. Brewer says that love must have carried over into her personal life.
“That love was felt like when I was there,” said Brewer. “I only had a short amount of time with her, and I’m just I can’t express how happy and grateful I am that I got to experience her for a little bit of time that I did.”
Mock is being held on a $1,000,000 bond. Brewer says she has no doubt Avers was a good person despite the complexities of what happened to her.
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