I know there have been several horrific kidnappings and child murders lately. But, this one story of a 7 year-old killed by her mother in New York seems to have generated almost no coverage. Some cases of mother's killing their children are headline news for weeks or months. Maybe it's the timing of so much else happening or the fact that the mother was on drugs but I just feel bad that this poor little girl seems to be just getting a shrug of the shoulders from the media. No child should have to die by their own mother's hand. 
Girl, 7, Stabbed
Cops: Woman kills daughter, attacks child's would-be rescuer
By Sean Gardiner, Wil Cruz and Pete Bowles
STAFF WRITERS
July 27, 2002
A Brooklyn woman disoriented on drugs stabbed her 7-year-old daughter to death in their apartment Friday and then turned the knife on a friend who had intervened in an attempt to save the girl's life, police sources said.
After stabbing the girl, the mother, identified as Yolanda Billingslea, 30, had a bloody brawl in front of her house with a friend, Iashia Byrd, 23, sources said. Billingslea later ran back into the apartment and stabbed herself several times, they said.
Both women were in critical condition at hospitals. Late Friday, police arrested Billingslea in connection with the incident, but charges were pending.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Billingslea had been taking drugs and began stabbing her daughter, Tashima, with a small folding knife about 11:30 a.m. inside their apartment at 442 Greene Ave. in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Byrd was in the apartment and interceded, the sources said, but Billingslea turned the knife on her and chased her into the street.
Neighbors said they saw the woman repeatedly stab the other woman. The two fell over several garbage cans and bumped their heads on the sidewalk, neighbors said.
At one point, Billingslea lost the knife and ran into her apartment. She returned with a large kitchen knife.
Meanwhile, a driver stopped and came to Byrd's aid, police sources said. When Billingslea reappeared, the Good Samaritan left, escaping harm. But Billingslea started stabbing Byrd again.
A man intervened and punched Billingslea in the face as she swiped at him with the knife, nicking his arm slightly, the sources said. "There was plenty of blood," said a neighbor who gave his name as Harry. "She just kept stabbing her," said Lillie Davis, 65, who lives on the block.
Billingslea returned to her apartment, where she used a pair of scissors to stab herself, sources said. Police said the bloody scissors were found inside the apartment.
Deputy Inspector Michael Harrington of the 79th Precinct said police received an emergency call at 11:34 a.m. that an assault with a knife was taking place on the 400 block of Greene Avenue. Officers found Byrd slumped on the sidewalk in front of 450 Greene Ave., bleeding from 15 stab wounds. A kitchen knife was found nearby.
Police followed a trail of blood to 442 Greene Ave., and forced their way into the locked first-floor apartment.
Inside, they found Tashima on the floor, bleeding from stab wounds. The officers wrapped her in a blanket and carried her to a waiting ambulance. The girl was rushed to Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, where she was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m.
Police also found Billingslea bleeding inside the apartment. She had several stab wounds, including at least one to the neck, police said.
Billingslea was taken to Woodhull, where she was in critical but stable condition Friday night, spokeswoman Emily Mescon said. Byrd was in critical condition at Kings County Hospital Center, police said.
A neighbor, who gave her name only as Miss Jenkins, said she had heard that Billingslea recently lost her job. "As far as I could tell, she was a good mother," she said. "This is a real shock."
Police sources confirmed that Yolanda Billingslea had lost her job, though they did not say where she worked. An eviction notice was found inside her apartment, the sources said.
Longtime friend Roslyn Pointer, 38, described Billingslea as being "always happy ... a very sweet lady."
Pointer's daughter, Diamond, said of her good friend Tashima: "We'd ride on our bikes every day. We did everything together. We played house. If I didn't have something she had, she'd give me hers."
Girl, 7, Stabbed
Cops: Woman kills daughter, attacks child's would-be rescuer
By Sean Gardiner, Wil Cruz and Pete Bowles
STAFF WRITERS
July 27, 2002
A Brooklyn woman disoriented on drugs stabbed her 7-year-old daughter to death in their apartment Friday and then turned the knife on a friend who had intervened in an attempt to save the girl's life, police sources said.
After stabbing the girl, the mother, identified as Yolanda Billingslea, 30, had a bloody brawl in front of her house with a friend, Iashia Byrd, 23, sources said. Billingslea later ran back into the apartment and stabbed herself several times, they said.
Both women were in critical condition at hospitals. Late Friday, police arrested Billingslea in connection with the incident, but charges were pending.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Billingslea had been taking drugs and began stabbing her daughter, Tashima, with a small folding knife about 11:30 a.m. inside their apartment at 442 Greene Ave. in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Byrd was in the apartment and interceded, the sources said, but Billingslea turned the knife on her and chased her into the street.
Neighbors said they saw the woman repeatedly stab the other woman. The two fell over several garbage cans and bumped their heads on the sidewalk, neighbors said.
At one point, Billingslea lost the knife and ran into her apartment. She returned with a large kitchen knife.
Meanwhile, a driver stopped and came to Byrd's aid, police sources said. When Billingslea reappeared, the Good Samaritan left, escaping harm. But Billingslea started stabbing Byrd again.
A man intervened and punched Billingslea in the face as she swiped at him with the knife, nicking his arm slightly, the sources said. "There was plenty of blood," said a neighbor who gave his name as Harry. "She just kept stabbing her," said Lillie Davis, 65, who lives on the block.
Billingslea returned to her apartment, where she used a pair of scissors to stab herself, sources said. Police said the bloody scissors were found inside the apartment.
Deputy Inspector Michael Harrington of the 79th Precinct said police received an emergency call at 11:34 a.m. that an assault with a knife was taking place on the 400 block of Greene Avenue. Officers found Byrd slumped on the sidewalk in front of 450 Greene Ave., bleeding from 15 stab wounds. A kitchen knife was found nearby.
Police followed a trail of blood to 442 Greene Ave., and forced their way into the locked first-floor apartment.
Inside, they found Tashima on the floor, bleeding from stab wounds. The officers wrapped her in a blanket and carried her to a waiting ambulance. The girl was rushed to Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, where she was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m.
Police also found Billingslea bleeding inside the apartment. She had several stab wounds, including at least one to the neck, police said.
Billingslea was taken to Woodhull, where she was in critical but stable condition Friday night, spokeswoman Emily Mescon said. Byrd was in critical condition at Kings County Hospital Center, police said.
A neighbor, who gave her name only as Miss Jenkins, said she had heard that Billingslea recently lost her job. "As far as I could tell, she was a good mother," she said. "This is a real shock."
Police sources confirmed that Yolanda Billingslea had lost her job, though they did not say where she worked. An eviction notice was found inside her apartment, the sources said.
Longtime friend Roslyn Pointer, 38, described Billingslea as being "always happy ... a very sweet lady."
Pointer's daughter, Diamond, said of her good friend Tashima: "We'd ride on our bikes every day. We did everything together. We played house. If I didn't have something she had, she'd give me hers."
