A quiet Sunday in Wichita turned tragic when 80-year-old Anita Avers was discovered in her bed in the 1500 block of East Crowley with multiple stab wounds. The call came in at about 7:50 a.m. on Friday, October 31, when officers from the Wichita Police Department responded to reports of a cutting in the neighborhood near Wassall and Hydraulic.
When officers arrived, they found an adult woman — later identified as the victim’s 47-year-old daughter — standing outside the home with visible injuries to her hands. Inside, paramedics found Anita unresponsive. She was rushed to Saint Francis Hospital, but despite the efforts of emergency crews she tragically passed away shortly thereafter.
Police say the daughter — currently held on a first-degree murder charge — was treated at a hospital for her injuries before being booked into the Sedgwick County Jail. At this time no motive has been publicly released.
Neighbors in the south Wichita neighborhood described the family as quiet and kind. One resident said, “Anita was such a sweet woman … she loved her family and always had a smile.” The shock and grief among those who knew them is heavy, as the community tries to process how such a tragedy could unfold in a home that seemed so ordinary.
Investigators are still working to piece together what led to the stabbing. The Wichita Police Department continue to urge anyone with information to come forward, including via Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111.
In the coming days, the case will undoubtedly raise questions about what went wrong behind closed doors. This heartbreaking loss is a reminder of how fragile life can be — and how unseen struggles may sit just beneath the surface of even the most peaceful-looking households. May Anita Avers rest in peace.
