Two Ohio sisters tried to strangle their mom with braided computer cords on Thanksgiving and then tried to kill her with a towel and a pillow, investigators said.
Willowick Police Chief Michael Lazor said the attack happened in a home near Cleveland that the sisters share with their mom. Jennifer Barnes, 23, and Joanna Barnes, 24, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges Monday.
The sisters are accused of putting cables around their 56-year-old mother’s neck and then each grabbed an end and tightened the cords. She was able to wiggle free, investigators said in court records. One of the sisters then allegedly tried to strangle the woman with towels while another tried to smother her with a pillow before the woman was able to flee the house.
The mother called police on Thursday after getting out of the house and asked officers to check on her daughters but didn't say anything about what happened, Lazor said.
The Cleveland Plain-Dealer reported the sisters were taken by police to the Lake West Medical Center for a mental health evaluation. Investigators believe the attack was premeditated, Lazor said.
Officers began investigating after the mother went to a hospital the next day with neck injuries and bruising, he said.
Each sister was being held on $50,000 bond. Both were due back in court Wednesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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