Cedar Mae Sarten, a 43-year-old woman from Alaska, is accused of brutally murdering her 5-year-old son, Bodhi, in her Fairbanks apartment on October 13. She allegedly used a 20-pound kettlebell weight to beat him to death, then stabbed his dead body with a knife. After committing the horrific act, Sarten left multiple voicemails for her ex-partner, the boy’s father, confessing to the murder. In one of the messages, she heartlessly told him, “We don’t have a son no more.” Sarten has a history of reckless endangerment charges involving her son.
The tragic incident unfolded when Bodhi’s father, Robert Gagner, dropped him off at Sarten’s apartment as part of a custody arrangement. Sarten allegedly called 911 to report that someone had “crashed” her son’s brain with the weight. First responders found the child’s lifeless body on a bed in the apartment. Sarten had also attempted to take her own life before making the call to authorities. She claimed that the last time she saw her son alive was when he was falling asleep in her arms at around 2 a.m.
While recovering in the hospital from her self-inflicted injuries, Sarten left another voicemail for Bodhi’s father, acknowledging that he must be angry with her for the boy’s death. She insisted that she knew something was wrong and had reached out for help. An investigation into the incident revealed the tragic nature of Bodhi’s demise and the cruel manner in which he was killed. Loved ones started a GoFundMe page to remember Bodhi as a sweet, kind-hearted child who always had a smile on his face and enjoyed simple pleasures like pizza, mozzarella sticks, and popsicles.
Sarten, who remains hospitalized, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Bodhi’s death. The case has sent shockwaves through the community, leaving many wondering how such a tragic and senseless act could occur. The details of the crime are harrowing and heartbreaking, shedding light on the dark realities of child abuse and domestic violence. As the investigation into Bodhi’s death continues, his loved ones are left to grapple with the profound loss of a child who brought joy and light into their lives. The memory of Bodhi will live on as a reminder of the importance of protecting and cherishing the innocence and purity of childhood.
