The wife of a Fort Eisenhower soldier was indicted on two counts of murder by a federal grand jury in Georgia on Wednesday after she admitted to killing her infant son with a knife to help get the child to “God and Jesus,” according to court documents.

April Evalyn Short, 30, is charged with premeditated murder and felony murder in the Nov. 15 death of the 11-month-old boy, according to Jill Steinberg, U.S. attorney for the southern district of Georgia. Short lived in a home on Fort Eisenhower where her husband, Staff Sgt. James Short, was assigned as an Army drill sergeant.

On the morning that the boy was killed, at about 8:01 a.m., James Short received a text message from his wife that referenced God and said, “The days of darkness are upon us,” according to court documents. He tried unsuccessfully to reach her for the next 15 minutes, then rushed home where his wife was barricaded in the primary bedroom with the couple’s three children. The other children are ages 11 and 6.

The drill sergeant could not get into the room, so he called 911.

Police officers arrived within five minutes, and April Short exited the room with the two older children and attempted to flee in a vehicle, according to court documents. One police officer attempted to stop her and was partially in the vehicle as the woman began driving away with her children in the back seat. The officer drew his weapon, and she stopped driving.

Police arrested April Short and began to look for the infant. He was found in the bathroom bleeding from his neck and wrapped in a shower curtain. He was taken to Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center at the base and pronounced dead at 9:34 a.m.

The other children told police that their mother cut the baby’s neck so he could “be with Jesus and God.” She also threatened to cut the 6-year-old if the child didn’t stop crying, according to court documents.

April Short told investigators she knew what she did and that it was “wrong” and “evil.”

U.S. marshals took custody of Short on Nov. 30 from Jefferson County Detention Center, according to jail records.

Officials at Fort Eisenhower, formally Fort Gordon, released a statement following the woman’s arrest that said the base was focused on providing support to those impacted by the tragedy.

“We appreciate the sensitivity afforded to our community as we take care of our team and continue to heal from this tragic loss,” base officials said.

Fort Eisenhower, Ga., is the Army’s home of its Cyber Center of Excellence. It was renamed in honor of General of the Army and President Dwight D. Eisenhower on Oct. 27, 2023, after previously being known as Fort Gordon, for Confederate Gen. John Brown Gordon. (Corey Dickstein/Stars and Stripes)