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Family of stabbing victims keep their faith

Malcolm Mathis II and his son, Malcolm III, were stabbed to death in St. Louis. Malcolm II lived in Northeast Ohio for a time and attended Kent State University.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY – In an exclusive interview with 5 On Your Side, the family of Malcolm Mathis II and III say they are devastated. The father and son were stabbed to death inside their Maryland Heights home Thursday night. Two other family members were seriously injured.

Mathis’s nephew Traveon Sims and his girlfriend Onyai Turner are now facing two counts of first-degree murder, among other charges.

On a wall all by itself inside the Mathis’s home, are pictures of Malcolm Mathis’s life.

“He was an awesome brother, an awesome uncle, awesome family member, awesome friend. That was Malcolm B,” said his sister Taleisha Watson.

They said that makes it that much harder that their son’s life was taken in such a gruesome way.

“Shock, disbelief, anger,” said Darlene Mathis. “Don’t take the next second for granted.”

Malcolm II, or as his family called him “B2”, was an IT Technician at Monsanto. He attended Kent State University and lived in Northeast Ohio for a time.

In his spare time, he worked with the St. Louis Metro Chapter of the Black Data Processing Associates, that helps students learn computer skills.

“He worked through the organization to get each person that joined a computer,” said Malcolm Sr.

They say their grandson, “B3”, at only 22-months-old, was already showing a personality that shined as brightly as his father’s.

“B2 had a million-dollar smile, B3 had a half-a-million-dollar smile, and he was working on getting it up to a million dollars,” jokes Malcolm Sr.

B1 said it was that same sense of selflessness that drove his son to help his wife’s troubled nephew, Traveon Sims.

“He had some difficulty with him but he moved beyond the difficulty so that he could try to help him to get better. Even in a difficult relationship, he never just totally had given up,” he said.

That same nephew now sits behind bars accused of Malcolm’s murder.

“We don’t understand what the motivation was behind his act,” said Watson.

Through the tears, the Mathis family said they’ll lean on each other and their faith.

“While my son and grandson died, God was so good that he allowed my granddaughter to still live. That could have been a tragedy for my whole family but my granddaughter lived. That’s the goodness of God,” explained Malcolm Sr., who is also a minister.

They believe little Myla, B2’s 4-year-old girl injured in the stabbing, is still alive because her mother Susan came home just in the nick of time and pushed through the shock of the horrific crime scene to save her daughter.

“She must have saw some life in Myla and the neighbor called 911 but at that time my son and grandson were gone,” said Darlene.

Gone from this Earth, but always in their hearts, and on the front wall of their home.

“We can’t take any moment for granted. That life can change in a moment,” said Malcolm Sr.

Four-year-old Myla was unconscious throughout most of Thursday night, but is said to now be partially awake and in stable condition at the hospital.

Myla’s aunt, who was also injured in the stabbing, remains in critical condition.

A fund has been set up at Commerce Bank to help Susan Mathis, Malcolm’s widow, with funeral expenses. You can donate at any of their locations.

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