Neighbors recall mental episodes of Melissa Towne, who killed 5-yr-old daughter by slitting her throat
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TOMBALL, TEXAS: Texas woman Melissa Towne, who cruelly killed her five-year-old daughter Nichole, has been described by her neighbors as mentally disturbed. Towne reportedly cut Nichole's neck and suffocated her with a plastic bag, after which the child died on October 16.
Towne took Nichole to Spring Creek Park where she knifed her and strangled her with a plastic bag. The daughter even begged her mother to stop and pleaded that she had been a good girl. Later, Towne was arrested by the police when she tried to dispose of the body at a hospital. According to one of Towne's former neighbors, he had to contact the cops on her multiple times. "We always knew she had mental issues," Alan Pffar said. "She would have arguments with my mailbox for no reason." Pffar continued by saying that because of Towne, he even had to install security cameras. "One time, she was beating up on a car," Pffar told ABC 13. "I didn't realize it was hers. She was hitting it with a baseball bat."
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Towne’s erratic behavior and habits were a concern for her neighbors who were always been on high alert around her. Members close to the family told ABC13 that Nichole once resided in Magnolia with their father and stepmother. The neighbors said they took turns taking care of Nichole. "He was asking for help, and anytime we could, we would all help," an anonymous neighbor said. "He loved her. He was the best daddy he could be. We all knew something was wrong, and she wanted good for her baby. We kept her away, and we didn't want anything to happen to her, so we tried to do the best we could. But I can't imagine anyone doing that to a child at all, and when you find out it's someone you know, and especially a sweet little baby, it breaks your heart." Nichole was her father’s only child.
Towne has been sent to the Harris County jail on a $15 million bond after being charged with capital murder. She has three other children between the ages of 2 and 18, according to CPS. They reside with other family members in safety.