Autopsy: 4-Year-Old Died of Stab Wound

RALEIGH, N.C. — A 4-year-old Clayton girl died as a result of a stab wound, according to the medical examiner's report.

Authorities said Katlin Violette was killed on Jan. 12 at her home at 20200 McKinnon Drive. Her mother found her body when she returned home from work. The head had been severed from the child's body.

According to the autopsy report released Tuesday, the girl had died before she was decapitated.

John Patrick Violette, 37, faces first-degree murder charges in connection with the death of his daughter. He is currently being held at Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh, where he has been undergoing mental evaluations to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.