An elderly Missouri woman had her life tragically cut short last week.

76-year-old Eileen Schnitker was found dead on her front porch Wednesday morning after being beaten to death on the head and face and stabbed in the abdomen. Authorities arrested her 31-year-old neighbor Isaac Heath the same day after witnesses reported seeing him standing on Eileen’s porch swinging around a baseball bat, hitting an object. They did not see what he was allegedly striking. A witness also claimed to hear Isaac say “that felt good” after finishing his brutal attack, as reported by KSDK-TV.

Absolutely terrifying…

Unfortunately, this seems to be one of those cases that was so close to being prevented, but just fell a little short — apparently authorities were called to Isaac’s residence THE NIGHT BEFORE the gruesome murder due to reports of him screaming in his backyard. A report by Berkeley police chief Art Jackson in the Post-Dispatch revealed that when officers arrived at Isaac’s location, he was calm — so they did nothing.

That’s so disheartening to know that a life could have been saved.

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As of now police haven’t revealed a suspected motive for the incident, but neighbor Erin Cooper who lives across the street was able to offer some insight: 

“He was having some mental issues, mentally unstable. Since his parents moved, I have not seen him leave the house once. Just screaming and loud music.”

Isaac’s parents moved away last month, but the reason why is unknown at this time. Were they keeping their son calm all this time?

Eileen’s 49-year-old son Jason Schneider claimed that his mother and Isaac did not even know one another, and that to his knowledge she wasn’t afraid of him. All of this was out of nowhere. Jason says he rushed over to his mother’s house after he was informed by one of her neighbors that someone threw a statue through her window. But by the time he arrived, police were already on the scene… and it was too late.

Absolutely devastating.

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St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell explained:

“The fact patterns of some crimes leave you speechless, and this is one of those. We’re not talking about a shoot-out. This is a neighbor checking on her home and she was savagely beaten.”

What a terrible way to go out.

Eileen’s niece, Cheryl Benson Kaufman told KDSK that her aunt was “always positive” and that “she adored her family.”

Isaac is facing charges of first-degree murder and criminal action and a judge has set his bond at $750,000. It is not clear if Isaac has retained an attorney or entered a plea deal.

R.I.P.

[Images via Eileen Schnitker/Facebook & St. Louis County Justice Services]

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