A mother in Ohio, was arrested for the murder of her daughter. She’s charged with killing her 32-year-old daughter, Ayla Mangan, with a collectible sword. She took the sword from the wall, which was a collector’s item and belonged to her husband. The two got into an argument, calling it “dumb stuff” that was a usual occurrence in the household. But on July 10th, the fight led to her daughter’s murder.
The 49-year-old accused, Terri Niner, called 911 to get an ambulance to their residence. From the details of the conversation with the dispatcher and the police, it seems her husband, Francis Niner, was withholding information. Hence, he’s also facing charges of obstructing an investigation. This true crime reveals that the two tried to hide the details of the murder so as not to get arrested.
In the conversation, the mother asked for help as her adult daughter was cut. The dispatcher on the phone enquired if she’d cut herself. She answered she didn’t stab her. However, she was trying to grab the knife from her autistic daughter. Since the knife was on her back, it was hard to believe she cut herself. To this, Niner said her daughter just threw herself back on the knife. She thought it was a small cut at first.
The mother and the stepfather were arrested by the Canton police. They’ll be appearing in court on July 16. Their crime comes under homicide, and Franciz was also a part of it while he was telling lies to the police to protect his wife, as per Law & Crime.
Canton woman charged with murder, accused of fatally stabbing daughter in back https://t.co/kniD64l1GO
— CantonRep.com (@CantonRepdotcom) July 12, 2025
He is Mangan’s stepfather. Niner tried to defend herself by calling their fight a dumb argument. She also said her daughter is autistic at a 13-year-old functional level. The two are facing serious allegations as per the Canton Law Department.
Their frantic call to 911 was full of lies. At first, the stepfather revealed she was playing with the knife and cut herself on the back. In comparison, his wife was telling a different story of taking the knife off the wall. The dispatcher asked how she got cut while playing.
Canton police arrest mother, stepfather in connection with deadly stabbing – Canton police say Terri Niner is facing several charges, including murder, for the stabbing death of her daughter, Ayla Mangan. https://t.co/frHHAyspbd via @wkyc
— Kim Wendel (@KimWendel) July 11, 2025
When police reached their home, there was blood from the back door to the living room. Their conflicting stories did not match up, and police knew they were trying to hide the truth behind their intent and actions. The story of her messing around with the sword did not make sense, and getting stabbed in the back with it, or even falling over it.
The slain daughter was murdered over a petty argument while the parents tried to hide the truth. They are currently held in the Stark County Jail with a half-million bond for Terry and $75,000 for Francis.
