Hearing delayed for mom accused in daughter’s stabbing death

By Dave Toplikar

Thursday, March 29, 2012 | 12:45 p.m.

A Las Vegas judge today decided to delay a preliminary hearing for about a month for Danielle Slaughter, who is accused of stabbing and killing her 6-year-old daughter on March 11.

Slaughter, 27, told police that when her daughter, Kyla Franks, began "laughing in an evil voice" she picked up a pair of scissors and struck the girl multiple times, according to a police report.

Slaughter faces a charge of murder with a deadly weapon.

Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure reset Slaughter's hearing for 9 a.m. April 24 in Las Vegas Justice Court.

The delay was made at the request of Slaughter's attorney, Andrea Luem, a member of the homicide team for the Clark County public defender's office.

Ashton Lyken, who identified himself as Slaughter's boyfriend, called police March 11 after finding the child's body in the master bedroom of the home, which is in the 1600 block of Palmae Way.

Lyken told detectives Slaughter called him to say Kyla was dead, but Slaughter was nowhere to be found when Lyken arrived home, the arrest report said.

Detectives said the girl likely died from stab wounds to the neck from scissors, which were found near her body.

Police found Slaughter near Vegas Drive and Decatur Boulevard running naked and with blood on her hands.

At the time, she told officers the blood came from the “Lamb of God,” according to her arrest report.

Slaughter said the incident was out of character for her and repeatedly expressed disbelief that she killed her daughter, the arrest report states.

Slaughter blamed an “evil presence” she had been feeling in the house for several days, acknowledging the need to remove evil from the dwelling, according to the arrest report.

Slaughter is being held without bail in the Clark County Detention Center.