A life coach in Florida was arrested after he allegedly stabbed his mother several times at their home just hours after he posted a video espousing the importance of forgiveness.
Alexander Harrington has been accused of stabbing his mother, Susan Baratto, to death at their home in Delray Beach. He has since been charged with first-degree murder.
Harrington, 50, reportedly called police around 2 p.m. on Friday, September 11, and admitted that he had killed Baratto, 77, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit viewed by Law & Crime.
Officers with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office responded to the residence, where they encountered Harrington outside.
Deputies then entered the home and found Baratto in the living room, covered in blood and suffering from multiple stab wounds. A knife was located on the ground next to her body. Baratto was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said that Harrington had a laceration on his left arm, and spoke to paramedics about what happened while receiving treatment.
“I killed my mom,” he allegedly confessed, per the affidavit.
Detectives then took Harrington in for an interview, where he again allegedly admitted he stabbed his mother and called 911 to report the crime.
Harrington’s motive for allegedly killing his mother remains unclear at the time of publication, and the affidavit did not provide any details regarding the events that led to her alleged murder. Harrington allegdly told authorities that he has been sober since 2007, and was previously diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder.
Harrington has described himself as a life coach and “intuitive healer,” according to his Facebook page.
One day before he allegedly killed his mother, he shared a post in which he called himself “one of Christ’s white knights” and discussed the importance of forgiveness.
“We have to forgive people from our past,” he said in a video. “[I]f you don’t open up your heart to heal, you’re going to make the same mistakes over and over again. And you’re not going to be a happy camper… I wrote down the name of everyone who ever hurt me and forgave them all.”
Harrington is currently being held in the Palm Beach County Jail without bond. He is next scheduled to appear in court on November 5.
It’s not currently clear if Harrington has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding the case.
















