In March 2023, a tragic murder-suicide took place in San Antonio, Texas, involving 32-year-old Savannah Samantha Kriger and her 3-year-old son, Kaiden. Before their bodies were found in a drainage ditch near Tom Slick Park, Savannah recorded a 21-second video at the scene and sent a text message to her ex-husband saying, “Say goodbye to your son.” The manner of death was determined to be suicide for Savannah and homicide for Kaiden by Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
Prior to the tragic events, Kriger had been reported missing after leaving work early to pick up her son from daycare for a doctor’s appointment. She then went to her ex-husband’s home, where she damaged various items before leaving and returning to her residence. The sheriff’s deputies who performed a welfare check at Kriger’s home discovered bullet holes in wedding portraits, matching the shell casings found at the crime scene.
After the incidents at her ex-husband’s home and her residence, Kriger checked Kaiden out of daycare and made a FaceTime call to her ex-husband, expressing ominous statements about his future. She then traveled to Tom Slick Park with her son in the car, where she recorded a video of the two of them sitting at the drainage ditch. Despite the lack of graphic content in the video, it was chilling in retrospect, knowing what took place afterward.
Kriger’s ex-husband called 911 to report criminal mischief at the park while Kriger attempted to contact him via FaceTime. He received a final text message from her saying, “Say goodbye to your son.” Authorities were unable to prevent the tragedy as they were not called until several hours later, and the bodies of Kriger and Kaiden were found the following day at the park. A gun legally purchased by Kriger from a friend was also found at the crime scene.
According to Sheriff Salazar, the tragedy could not have been prevented, but he emphasized the importance of not hesitating to call for a welfare check when concerned about someone’s well-being. The sheriff’s office is there to respond to such situations and would rather be called to ensure everything is okay rather than regret not calling later on. The heartbreaking case highlights the importance of mental health awareness and reaching out for help when struggling with suicidal thoughts.
