Police Say Woman Fatally Stabbed Mom Who Saved Her

An ordinary Saturday evening in Clarksburg, West Virginia, turned tragic when police responded to a disturbance call and discovered a shocking scene. Inside the home of a mother and daughter, the mother was found dead … and the daughter was the most likely suspect in her murder. Adding to the tragedy was the mother who had, just months earlier, helped her daughter through a painful moment in her life.

A Disturbance Call Turns Fatal

Clarksburg police arrived at the residence shared by 64-year-old Elaine Labenne and her daughter, 41-year-old Shanna Marie Vannorman, after a report of a disorderly disturbance.

What they found was far worse than expected.

Labenne was pronounced dead at the scene, her injuries consistent with a stabbing. A knife was recovered at the scene. According to police, Vannorman was immediately taken into custody and later charged with murder. She is currently being held at the North Central Regional Jail, awaiting legal proceedings.

No motive has been publicly confirmed by law enforcement.

A Troubled History Resurfaces

Just over two months before the stabbing, Vannorman had been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and assault of a government official. She pleaded not guilty to both charges. Her bond was set at $2,000, and according to multiple reports, it was Labenne - her mother - who posted bail and brought her daughter back home.

That decision would later become a tragic footnote in the investigation. At the time of the alleged murder, Vannorman was still living with her mother in the same house she returned to after being bailed out.

Until Vannorman’s next court appearance, the case remains shrouded in many unanswered questions: What happened inside the home that night? Was there a breaking point? And how does a daughter end up accused of murdering the very woman who gave her another chance?

References: Mother Bailed Out Daughter, Who Then Allegedly Stabbed Her to Death: Police | Clarksburg woman arrested for allegedly stabbing mother to death | Clarksburg woman charged with murder after allegedly stabbing mother | Woman allegedly fatally stabbed her mom 2 months after victim bailed her out of jail