Westminster woman accused of stabbing mother to death in argument

A Westminster woman arrested Sunday on suspicion of murder is accused of fatally stabbing her mother during an argument, according to court documents.

Sarah Riste and a small child were sitting on the steps outside the home in the 3300 block of 92nd Place when Westminster officers arrived just before 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the arrest affidavit.

Riste didn’t reveal much to officers, only telling them that there had been an accident inside the house and permitting them to enter, police said in the affidavit. She had been the one to call 911, police said.

As officers entered the house, they noticed a large amount of blood on the walls and a body under several blankets on the floor at the end of the hall.

The woman under the blankets, identified by police as 64-year-old Kathy Johnson, was already dead when officers arrived. No other victims were found inside the house.

Police said Riste was spotted yelling at the child outside, instructing them not to speak. Her shirt was covered in blood, and she had blood on her hands, according to the affidavit.

Riste told investigators during an interview at the police department that she had gotten into an argument with her mother, Johnson, the affidavit alleges. She said the argument was the result of years of emotional abuse and that, when it became physical, she grabbed a knife from the kitchen.

The child, believed to be Riste’s, told investigators “something to the effect of: mom stabbed grandma, mom is going to jail, grandma is dead and now I don’t have anyone,” the affidavit stated.

Riste was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and is expected to appear in court Thursday morning for a hearing on official charges.

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