West Haven mom who confessed to trying to smother son arraigned

Nov 29 2011 - 11:18pm


Tammy Crane
Tammy Crane

OGDEN -- A mother who police say tried to smother her 10-year-old son after dreaming about it was arraigned Tuesday on a charge of first-degree felony attempted murder.

A public defender was appointed to represent Tammy Crane, 38, and a status conference was scheduled for Thursday before 2nd District Judge Michael Lyon.

Crane actually called police dispatch to say she had attempted to kill the boy Friday night, the day after Thanksgiving, in the first of three confessions, police said.

Weber County Sheriff's Deputy Terrence Lavely arrived at the residence in West Haven to find "a crying female sitting on the floor just inside the front door," he wrote in a probable cause affidavit.

After confirming her identity, Lavely said, "Tammy told me that she had just tried to kill her son."

After she was given her Miranda warnings, the deputy quoted Crane, saying, "She woke up tonight and decided to follow through with several dreams she has been having, to kill herself and her son."

The boy suffered a bloody nose and was placed with a family member.

Crane made the 911 call at 2:52 a.m. Friday from a condo in the 3400 block of Kenna Lane, where she had been staying with a relative.

Crane had contemplated an overdose of pills for her suicide, according to initial reports.

In her statement to Lavely, Crane said she put a pillow over her son's head in trying to smother him.

"Her son began to struggle, and Tammy pinned her son's arms under her legs. Tammy then pushed harder on her son's head with the pillow.

"The son was able to ask, 'Mom, why are you hurting me?' and Tammy stopped, taking the pillow off of his face."

In a videotaped interview, Crane repeated the same account in more detail, according to the affidavit.

Attempted murder is usually a second-degree felony unless actual injury occurs, which raises it to first-degree felony status with a potential life sentence. A second-degree felony sentence is one to 15 years.

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