Teen told Columbus police he shot woman before repeatedly stabbing her, detective says

The 14-year-old boy charged in the homicide of a mother of two shot her several times in the head before repeatedly stabbing her, according to court testimony Tuesday.

Both the 14 year old and 44-year-old Joshuah Fredette appeared in Recorder’s Court Tuesday morning. Fredette is charged with possession of a controlled substance, felony tampering with evidence and murder. His son is charged with murder, possession of a firearm in the active commission of a crime and theft by taking. Both plead not guilty.

Fredette told police that his son had recently become involved with a local street gang and was trying to prove himself, according to testimony from Sgt. Dexter Wysinger. Fredette also said that the teen was mad at victim Emily McDaniel, 37, because he believed she was the reason his father was on drugs.

A police interview with the teen revealed that he blamed himself for Fredette getting involved with drugs, Wysinger said.

Around 10:06 p.m. Saturday at 1120 Rosewood Drive, the teen allegedly shot McDaniel in the head several times with a gun that he stole from his place of employment. After shooting McDaniel, he called his father, who told police that he was picking up food with McDaniel’s two kids at the Burger King near Manchester Expressway. The teen stayed behind at McDaniel’s residence while his father was out, Wysinger said.

Wysinger testified that during the phone call, Fredette’s son told him that he shot McDaniel in the head. Fredette allegedly asked his son if McDaniel was breathing and the teen said she was breathing a little bit.

“At that point, Fredette said he said something to his son to the effect of, ‘well, if you’re going to kill her, you need to kill her because otherwise you’re leaving a witness,’” Wysinger said.

During the police interview, the teen said he didn’t want to get in trouble for shooting McDaniel so he stabbed her, Wysinger said. He used a butcher knife found on the ground nearby, and later washed it off and put it in a cabinet.

The teen told police that he was “blacking out” multiple times during the incident and when he finally came to, he disposed of the knife, gun and car. According to Wysinger, the car was later abandoned near his residence. Police were able to eventually recover all three items.

Judge Julius Hunter bound the two cases over to Superior Court, where a decision will be made on bond.

Outside the court room, Fredette’s defense attorney Chance Hardy discussed the key points he heard during the testimony.

“Sounded like from the testimony from the officer that there was some sort of conflict between the child and the victim,” Hardy said. “I think it’s a case of the father trying to protect his son.”

This story was originally published September 22, 2020 at 1:39 PM.