The mother wanted to get her adoptive son help, knowing he had "scars" from his childhood.
According to the 9-year-old boy's family, she had booked an appointment for Tuesday after struggling to get him mental health care for some time. But early Monday, Pauline Marie Randol, 51, was found dead after being shot with a rifle in their southern Michigan home.
Her son, whom The Detroit News is not identifying, became the suspect. And on Wednesday, court records indicated he was charged with her murder.