Haunting 911 Call Revealed As Mom Confesses To Taking Teen Son’s Life To Fulfil His ‘Final Wish’

Katie Austin Lee, the mother accused of taking her 17-year-old son’s life the day before his 18th birthday, has admitted in court to the shocking act. 

She claimed she did it to fulfill what she described as his final wish.

The 40-year-old from Holland, Michigan, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, resisting a police officer, and an additional count of inflicting severe harm during the incident that ended with the passing of her son, Austin Dean Pikaart.

Lee said she gave him a “mind-altering substance” before cutting his wrist and throat, insisting she believed he did not want to reach adulthood.

A mother accused of murdering her own son admitted to the crime, explaining she wanted to fulfill his “final wish”

Woman in red prison uniform standing in courtroom during a case related to haunting 911 call confession.

Image credits: FOX 17 WXMI

Warning: This article contains details related to violence involving a parent and child

On February 21, just after 4 am, a 911 operator in Holland, Michigan, answered a call that was unlike anything they had ever heard.

On the other end of the line was Katie Austin Lee. “I can’t get my son to stop breathing,” she said.

Detective Sgt. Brent Sluiter, recounting the moment in court, explained how the operator tried to make sense of what she was hearing. “He won’t stop what?” the dispatcher asked.

Lee’s answer only confirmed the worst. “I’ve been trying to for a while,” she said.

Mugshot of a woman involved in a haunting 911 call after confessing to taking her teen son's life.

Image credits: Holland Department of Public Safety

The words triggered an immediate emergency response. Within minutes, patrol cars were racing toward Bay Pointe Apartments, where Lee lived with her 17-year-old son, Austin Dean Pikaart.

When the first responders arrived, they were met at the door by Lee herself.

Teen boy wearing glasses and black shirt, standing outdoors with trees in the background, related to haunting 911 call case.

Image credits: Dignity Memorial

The mother stood clutching a knife, refusing to put it down. Her face was streaked with tears, her movements erratic. Officers ordered her repeatedly to drop the weapon, but she didn’t comply. 

Eventually, a Taser was deployed, bringing her to the ground.

According to the mother, her son allegedly didn’t want to turn 18

Teen boy wearing glasses sitting in a chair inside a tent, related to haunting 911 call and mom confession story.

Image credits: Dignity Memorial

Once Lee was restrained, officers entered the apartment.

Austin lay motionless inside. The medical examiner would later determine that he had been given a sedative before sustaining a deep wound to the throat.

Woman in blue prison uniform with head bowed during a video call, related to haunting 911 call and mom's confession.

Image credits: WOOD TV8

Court filings revealed that Lee had told investigators she did it because her son “did not want to turn 18.”

In her mind, she claimed, she was helping him fulfill a wish.

As officers tried to secure the scene, Lee’s pleas grew more desperate. “Just end me,” she allegedly told them. “I want to be with him.”

She was arrested and taken into custody.

Despite agreeing to a plea deal, her sentence means she’ll likely spend her remaining days in jail

Woman in red prison uniform with glasses sitting in court during a hearing about a haunting 911 call case.

Image credits: FOX 17 WXMI

During her hearing on October 22, Lee wept as she confessed to what she had done: both sedating her son, and stabbing him.

Judge Jon Hulsing, presiding over the hearing, reminded her that this was not a case the court could treat lightly.

Snow-covered Bay Pointe Apartments entrance sign with trees and buildings in the background on a cloudy winter day.

Image credits: WOOD TV8

“You would not be eligible for parole until you are over 100,” he told her. “Do you understand?”

Lee, her eyes described as red and swollen from crying, nodded faintly. “Yes,” she whispered.

Two police officers outside a house with crime scene tape, linked to a haunting 911 call investigation.

Image credits: WOOD TV8

It marked the end of what was once a first-degree murder case, which would’ve ensured she never left prison.

But instead of facing a mandatory life sentence without parole, Lee had agreed to a plea deal, reducing the case to second-degree, a conviction that still carries between 60 and 90 years behind bars.

Her sentencing is scheduled for January 19, 2026.

Austin’s family set up a fundraiser campaign to help his loved ones honor his memory

Two police officers near a forensic vehicle at a crime scene related to a haunting 911 call investigation.

Image credits: WOOD TV8

Austin’s passing devastated the small Michigan community of Holland.

His aunt, Alisa Pikaart, wrote on GoFundMe that he was “caring, humorous, playful, and most of all, loved and cared for his family and friends.” The campaign was set up to help fund Austin’s Celebration of Life service.

The total amount donated has not been disclosed by the site.

“He loved video games and all things ‘space’ and ‘galaxy’ themed,” she wrote. 

“Someday we plan to launch his ashes into space on an actual rocket ship for his final destination! It was truly an honor to have known him, and he will be deeply missed.”

Katie Lee will likely spend the rest of her life behind bars, her case remembered for the haunting 911 call that first alerted authorities, and the irreversible decision made in the name of a wish her son would never live to outgrow.

“Monster.” Readers called for the mother to be offered no mercy

Comment by Brittany Stephens questioning the circumstances behind a teen son's death wish in a 911 call case.

Alt text: Woman asking why her son did not want to turn 18 in a haunting 911 call confession about teen's death.

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Comment by Ronald Immormino discussing a mother letting her son suffer and the absence of the death penalty in Michigan.

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