Margaret defended her son, until he made a threat she could never escape
In the suburban township of South Fayette, Pennsylvania, one person stood out to the locals in particular.
That was 67-year-old Margaret Sumney.
With her radiant beauty, caring nature and love for family, it was clear that she had so much to offer to the small, yet close-knit town.
Always being the first one to welcome new neighbours comfortably onto the street, Margaret would visit with bundles of goodies on their arrival, without wanting a thank you in return.
And with a pure gift and passion for dance, Margaret fuelled her drive into teaching others alongside her family at Shafe Sisters Dance Studio, not only working as a dance instructor but a co-owner of the business, too.
As for her family, she was an extremely devoted mother, who would give her all to her children, no matter what.
Which was something that her son David Sumney, 33, knew all too well.
Despite having everything from his mum growing up, it was clear that David’s behaviour, even from a young age, differed from that of his selfless mum.
And at just five years old it seemed his actions were already a concern.
Allegedly finding David in his room where he had killed a bird with his friend, it had given Margaret quite a fright.
And that violent tendency wasn’t just a phase.
It was something that he carried with him into adulthood.
In August 2014, David had been charged with assaulting his mother Margaret, being arrested again in 2015 for doing the same to his father, and then for a third time in November 2016 for reportedly kicking and grabbing his mum by the neck area.
They hoped his violence would stop
Only David was never convicted for his actions – Margaret’s kind personality shone through in even the darkest of situations.
And her leniency meant that David’s charges were downgraded, he was able to get off scot-free. Yet, that didn’t stop him.
With his family allegedly hearing him say ‘I’ll get you next time’, in regards to his mother, it was a damning threat that none of them thought would come true.
And as time went on, they all hoped that David’s violent streak would come to an end.
With him moving to another town, it was time for a fresh start.
However, with tragedy hitting at the end of August 2019, Ellis, Margaret’s daughter, wanted to inform her mum that they had lost an extended member of the family. Only, dialling through to her Olde Orchard Drive home, it was David that had answered the phone.
Had he simply visited Margaret for the day? What was he doing at Margar
