Crime & Safety

Prosecutor: Mom Seen Buying Circular Saw Allegedly Used to Cut Up Son's Body

Donna Scrivo, 60, of St. Clair Shores, whose attorney calls her "a real sweetheart," was arraigned on first-degree premeditated murder charged in the gruesome death of her son last month.

A Macomb County prosecutor told a District Court judge Monday that Donna Scrivo, 60, of St. Clair Shores used a circular saw to cut up her son’s “horrifically mutilated” body last month.

Scrivo was arraigned Monday in 40th District Court in St. Clair Shores and charged with first-degree premeditated murder in the death of her son, Ramsay Scrivo, 32, whose remains were found across rural parts of St. Clair County last month, the Detroit Free Press reports

The power saw, which the suspect was seen buying on store security video, was found in one of the bags containing body parts.

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Authorities haven’t said exactly how Scrivo allegedly killed her son, who died of asphyxiation, according to an autopsy report. But Assistant Prosecutor William Cataldo said in court that he had been “horrifically mutilated,” had ligature marks on his neck, suffered blunt-force trauma to his head and shoulders and then was likely placed in a bathtub and set on fire, the newspaper said.

Donna Scrivo reportedly used her SUV to transport her son’s body to various locations, then donated the blood-stained vehicle to the tax-deductible Mother Waddles Car Donation program.

Find out what's happening in St. Clair Shoreswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Scrivo, whose court-appointed attorney, Mark Haddad, called her “a real sweetheart, very pleasant and very respectful,” is being held without bond. A psychiatric evaluation was ordered to determine her competency to stand trial.

Eight months ago, Donna Scrivo sought guardianship and hospitalization of her son, who reportedly had been diagnosed with psychosis and had threatened suicide after the death of his father.


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