Popular TV food reporter stabbed to death by teen son who had suffered two concussions

He called 911 twice.

“I have committed murder,” the male caller said.

When police responded to the call they found the bodies of popular Dallas TV foodie Stacy Fawcett, 45, and her 17-year-old son, Josiah Utu, in their West Plano, Texas, home. Both had been stabbed to death.

Near their bodies they also found the suspected killer: Fawcett’s other teenage son, McCann Utu Jr., 19. He’d stabbed himself repeatedly and died later at the hospital.

Fawcett was known as “Dallas’ favorite foodie.” She appeared on a morning news show on ABC affiliate WFAA and blogged about food for a local radio station website.

She often talked on air about being a single mom raising two boys. Co-workers recalled that she never missed a day of work - except once because of bad weather - and would begin cooking at 3 a.m. to prepare food for the show.

“We will miss her kind, gentle spirit and her loving personality,” the TV station said in a statement.

The gruesome murder-suicide has unleashed a torrent of grief and confusion that has focused attention, yet again, on brain injuries suffered by athletes. (Read more about concussion injuries among professional athletes here.)

Family and friends who knew McCann told reporters that his personality dramatically changed after he suffered two concussions since the fall of 2013.

Josiah reportedly told his high school buddies that his brother wasn’t the same after the injuries.

The first injury occurred while McCann was playing basketball for Plano West High School, the Dallas Morning News reported. Friends began noticing changes in his behavior after he was injured.

He reportedly suffered a more damaging traumatic brain injury in the spring of 2014 during a fight with another student, according to friends who said he “started isolating himself” after the second injury. McCann continued to live at home in suburban Dallas after high school.

Friends said McCann posted troubling messages online last week, including this: “I prob will be the next to die.”

“The McCann I knew, he would never do something like that,” Waseem Limbada, 19, told the Morning News. “He loved Josiah, he loved his mom.”

Fawcett’s mother said her daughter had faced “difficulties” with her son after his concussions.

The boys’ father, McCann Utu Sr., also talked about his oldest son’s head injuries in a statement he gave to WFAA.

“I’m in so much pain and need to grieve for my boys and Stacy right now,” he said. “God will use my pain to help and save others that are going through mental illness and concussion.”

Hundreds of Fawcett’s fans are leaving condolences on her Facebook page.

Less than 30 minutes before she died around 12:30 a.m. Friday, Fawcett had emailed the station the recipes for her segment this week.

On the show Saturday, her colleagues made the recipes without her - two cobblers and lemonade.

This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 8:44 AM with the headline "Popular TV food reporter stabbed to death by teen son who had suffered two concussions."