MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Security guards were still manning the entrance at the apartment complex in Southeast Memphis where according to court records, a mother said she stabbed four of her children to death Friday.
Shanynthia Gardner,29, was taken into custody, although not in jail, and charged with four counts of first degree murder.
An affidavit said she told her husband Martin she stabbed their young children, 4-year-old Tallen, 3-year-old Sya, 2-year-old Sahvi and 6-month-old Yahzi.
Gardner’s oldest, 7-year-old Dallen, was able to get away.
The man he ran to, called 911.
At a media briefing Saturday, Sheriff Bill Oldham said additional charges could be filed, but there are still plenty of unanswered questions.
“Every investigation we always try to answer the different question why and in some instances we’re just not going to be able to determine exactly why.”
“People ask ‘why, well were their signs prior, like when the signs were showing, were they thoroughly looked into?'”
Friends like Clarence Dickson said they are having to deal with the same questions.
He grew up with Martin Gardner.
“He’s a brother to me,” he said.
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Dickson is a realtor and said he was working with the Gardners to buy their first home.
During a recent showing, he told WREG “I didn’t see any signs or anything to show their may be issues.”
But Dickson admitted that didn’t mean there weren’t problems.
According to Memphis Police, Shanynthia’s family reported her missing once in 2015.
They found her a day later at the ER.
“She was a sweet person, I think life itself took a toll on her.”
Dickson said he couldn’t sleep last night, thinking of the family.
“You all share some unique bonds and experiences, tell me about that,” said WREG’s Zaneta Lowe.
“His son Tallen, his birthday is on my birthday, and his newborn was born just a couple of weeks before my baby.”
Dickson got very emotional knowing about the stories that now won’t exist.
“Tallen, Dallen, (not audible)…he loved them kids,” he said crying.
Love.
That’s also what Dickson said he hopes the community will give to the Gardners right now and learn to do a better job of it, possibly preventing a tragedy in someone else’s life.
“It can raise awareness to have people check in with people just to see how they’re doing because we all are faced with something and we never know what’s going on.”