Mother investigated in South St. Paul boy's death

A 10-year-old boy found dead in his South St. Paul home Monday may have been killed by his mother, who remains in a St. Paul hospital under close watch, police said.

Authorities remain tight-lipped about how the boy -- who a neighbor said had autism -- died, or why his mother may have tried to kill at least two of her children in a case that shocked neighbors.

Michael Vonheath Becht Jr. was found dead in the duplex he shared with his mother and two sisters after emergency responders were called to the home at 716 1st Av. about 5:30 p.m. His mother, Patricia Ann Becht, 42, and Becht's 11-year-old daughter were found in medical distress in the home. Patricia Becht, who was conscious and breathing, was taken to United Hospital in St. Paul. The girl, who was unconscious and breathing, was taken to Children's Hospital in St. Paul, where she is in stable condition. Both are expected to survive.

In a brief news conference Tuesday, South St. Paul Police Chief Daniel Vujovich stopped short of saying the boy's death was a failed murder-suicide attempt by his mother. He did confirm, however, that Patricia Becht is the focus of the investigation.

"We have a homicide, a suspect, and two injured people," he said.

Police and Dakota County Sheriff's deputies searched the home, where they found several pieces of evidence that point to Patricia Becht, said Vujovich, who would not comment on the nature of the evidence. Becht is not under arrest, but she remains under the close watch of police at the hospital.

Police say another family member had come upon the scene and called 911 after other relatives had been unable to reach the family.

Aaron Scheler, 38, sat on the stoop on his side of the duplex on Tuesday. Next door lives the woman everyone knows as Patti. A makeshift memorial adorned with flowers and still-burning candles remained at the curb, while a small child's bike rested haphazardly against the railing at the entrance of the Becht home.

"They were just a normal family as far as I know," he said. "They had their issues just like the rest of us, but who doesn't?"

Scheler said his youngest son, Max, was best friends with the boy everyone called Mikey, who he said was autistic with "good days and bad days." Another of his children palled around with 11-year-old Erika. Becht's other daughter, Cara, 17, was the glue that held the family together, he said. They laughed at how Mikey's father had to stop by and fix the toilet after the boy broke an action figure and stopped the plumbing.

Seemed to be a good mom

On her Facebook profile, Patricia Becht describes herself as a heavy metal fan and the mother of "three great kids" who doesn't believe in marriage. She lists herself as a Rasmussen College student studying to be a medical assistant. Updates she wrote about her status reveal a range of moods.

"Why does life have to b so dreadful?" she wrote May 29.

"pretty soon it will all be over, and then the calm will come," she wrote May 31.

Scheler said Becht seemed to be a good mom, and he smiled as he recalled how his children would sneak to her house for sugary treats that were sometimes forbidden at home. He last saw her on July 4, when the two families watched fireworks together from the back yard and lamented their children's addictions to video games.

Scheler didn't know what to make of the allegations against Patricia Becht. He sent the youngest of his six children from the home until the media attention fades, and in the meantime wondered what he was going to tell Max.

"Probably the hardest thing is to try to explain to my 7-year-old why Mikey is gone," he said. "I don't know what to say."