Samantha Booth Murder Case: Charges, Hearing, and Insanity Defense

The Samantha Booth murder case is heading to trial in Oakland County, Michigan, after a district judge ruled in June 2026 that prosecutors had enough evidence to try the 35-year-old Chesterfield nanny for first-degree murder in the stabbing death of 83-year-old David Ong. Booth is accused of killing Ong with a screwdriver at a Royal Oak home in October 2025 while she was caring for his two-year-old granddaughter. She remains held without bond and faces mandatory life in prison without parole if convicted of the top charge.¹

What Happened at the Royal Oak Home

On the evening of October 24, 2025, Booth was watching a two-year-old girl at a house on the 4300 block of Sheridan Drive in Royal Oak while the child’s mother was out of town. When the mother could not reach Booth by phone, she asked her father, David Ong, to drive over from Bloomfield Hills to check on his granddaughter. Ong went to the house and also stopped responding. The child’s uncle then went to investigate.²

The uncle entered through the front door, heard noises from the basement, and found Ong on the floor with severe stab wounds, unresponsive. Booth confronted him covered in blood. He later testified that her behavior was “completely unnatural” and that it felt as though she was “possessed.” He grabbed the toddler and used a wooden high chair to fend Booth off as she allegedly lunged at him with a screwdriver, then ran from the house with Booth chasing them down the street. Neighbors pulled the pair into a nearby home and called 911. The uncle and child were treated for minor injuries and released that night.³

Ong was pronounced dead at the scene. Oakland County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Ljubisa Dragović ruled the cause of death as multiple sharp-force injuries and their complications, testifying that Ong suffered more than 40 penetrating wounds to his head and face, along with injuries to his chest, back, hands, and forearms. The wounds were consistent with a screwdriver or similar tool. Investigators found three screwdrivers near the body, a white cord wrapped around Ong’s neck, and his head covered and pants partially removed.⁴

Arrest and the Scene Outside the House

Officers arrived to find Booth outside the home, naked and covered in blood. A neighbor testified that she appeared to be holding a knife, was speaking incoherently, and was smashing her fists on the ground. He said the scene looked “like a horror movie.”⁵ Booth allegedly stripped off her clothing and tried to run before officers arrested her. Her hands were bloody.⁶

Investigators found suspected psychedelic mushrooms and marijuana in Booth’s purse. The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office initially said it was “unknown if she was under the influence during the attack,” and prosecutors later alleged at the preliminary hearing that she had been under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms during the killing. Booth’s defense attorney countered that nothing was found in her system except caffeine.⁶

Booth had no prior criminal record, according to prosecutors, and had worked as the family’s nanny for about two years, caring for the child since the girl was six weeks old. Police said Booth appeared to be acting normally earlier that day.

The Charges Booth Faces

On October 28, 2025, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald charged Booth with first-degree premeditated murder, second-degree child abuse, felonious assault, and three counts of assaulting, resisting, and obstructing a police officer. First-degree murder in Michigan carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Booth was denied bond and jailed. At her video arraignment from the Royal Oak Police Department, she refused to stand up in her cell or appear on camera, delaying the proceeding.²

What Came Out at the Preliminary Hearing

A two-day preliminary examination was held on June 25 and 26, 2026, before Judge Andrew Kowalkowski in Royal Oak’s 44th District Court. Royal Oak Police Detective Keith Bierenga testified that a forensic exam of the victim’s phone recovered six to eight selfies of Booth posing with the two-year-old in the basement laundry room where the killing occurred, with Booth covered in blood. Assistant Prosecutor Shellbe Sanborn described the photos as showing Booth “so giddy and smiling, covered in blood, standing next to a petrified-looking” child.¹

Officers described erratic post-arrest behavior. Sergeant Josh Little testified that Booth made disjointed comments including “grandpa,” “daddy,” and an expletive-laden remark about killing. Detective Dan Pelletier testified that when he tried to take her contact information, she advanced toward him in a manner that appeared “sexually aroused,” shouting “oh daddy” while making thrusting motions.⁵

The child’s mother testified that her daughter has been diagnosed with acute post-traumatic stress disorder and continues to have nightmares and screaming episodes.

The Defense: Insanity and No Premeditation

Booth is represented by Jim Amberg of Amberg & Amberg in Royal Oak. He has argued that Booth was in the middle of a severe mental health crisis when she killed Ong, telling the court, “My client was clearly insane at that time,” and calling the stabbing a “frenzy situation” rather than a planned act. Amberg said there was “not one scintilla of evidence” of a “cooldown period” and argued the first-degree murder charge should not stand because prosecutors could not show planning or deliberation.¹

On November 7, 2025, a judge had ordered Booth to undergo a psychological evaluation for both competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility. The defense asked for the evaluation after reviewing discovery, and prosecutors did not object.⁷ The results have not been publicly reported. The case’s advance to a preliminary hearing indicates the court found her competent to proceed.

Prosecutors countered that the volume and severity of the injuries themselves showed deliberation. Sanborn argued the attack “took time to commit,” giving Booth an opportunity to reflect. Judge Kowalkowski agreed the evidence was sufficient, ruling that “the question of fact is for the jury to decide on,” and bound Booth over on all charges.¹

Where the Case Stands Now

The case moved from district court to Oakland County Circuit Court after the June 2026 bindover. Booth was scheduled for circuit court arraignment on July 7, 2026, before Judge Victoria Valentine. She remains in the Oakland County Jail with bond denied. No trial date has been set.⁸ A first-degree murder conviction would carry a mandatory life sentence without parole.

Who David Ong Was

David Graham Ong, 83, lived in Bloomfield Hills and founded Acquest Realty Advisors, a commercial real estate consulting and development firm, in 1980, leading it for 45 years. He was married to Jacqueline Paulus Ong for more than 60 years and is survived by her, their four children, and 11 grandchildren.⁹ Prosecutor McDonald called his killing “a shocking tragedy” and credited the child’s uncle with rescuing the two-year-old from “this horrific and dangerous situation.”¹⁰

1
The Detroit News. Royal Oak Nanny Sent to Stand Trial on First-Degree Murder Charge
2
Oakland County, Michigan. Oakland County Prosecutor Charges Samantha Booth
3
The Independent. Michigan Babysitter Fatal Stabbing Screwdriver
4
ClickOnDetroit. Royal Oak Nanny Murder Case: Medical Examiner Testifies Grandfather Was Stabbed More Than 40 Times
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ClickOnDetroit. Bloody Selfies, Witness Testimony Sends Royal Oak Nanny to Trial in Grandfather’s Murder
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Fox 2 Detroit. Royal Oak Murder: Nanny Charged in Stabbing of 83-Year-Old Man
7
Court TV. Nanny Accused of Killing Grandfather to Undergo Competency Evaluation
8
The Oakland Press. Case Advances Against Nanny Accused of Killing Child’s Grandfather
9
Desmond Funeral Home. David Graham Ong Obituary
10
Oakland County, Michigan. Oakland County Prosecutor Charges Samantha Booth