‘The best person’: Son pays tribute to Arlington mom fatally stabbed by husband
Mary Spears was a devoted mother whose life revolved around her three children. Now her family is struggling to carry on without her.
“I just want everyone to know what a wonderful woman she was,” her son, Ashton Spears, told the Star-Telegram in a phone interview.
The 53-year-old Arlington woman was fatally stabbed at her home on Sept. 22. Her husband, 55-year-old Frederick Spears, has been arrested and faces a murder charge, according to police.
Ashton, 19, said they’ve been dealing with his stepfather’s violence for years. He’s sharing his family’s story because he wants people to know how special his mom was. He also hopes to make a difference on how police handle these types of case in the future.
Frederick Spears could be terrifying, Ashton said. He remembers coming out of his room as a small boy and seeing his stepfather trying to choke his mother. Ashton ran over to help his mom, only to have his stepfather get down in his face and curse him.
Ashton can recall good times as well when his stepfather was nice and everything was OK. But then he would seem to feel someone was threatening his authority and would get angry again. The bad times always outweighed the good, Ashton said.
According to Tarrant County court records, Frederick Spears was convicted on a family violence assault charge in 2012.
Ashton described his mother as “the best person I’ve ever met.”
Mary Spears was a hard worker, and her kids meant everything to her, Ashton said. She also loved animals and fostered cats through PetSmart. Recently she took in a kitten with a broken leg.
According to Ashton, his mother raised him to have good manners, be respectful and love God above all else.
“She did so much for me,” he said.
The 19-year-old said his stepfather was aware of how close the mother and son were. He believes that’s why Frederick Spears killed her — he knew it would be the worst thing he could do to Ashton.
According to Ashton, it occurred to him that his stepfather might try to harm the family’s pets, but he never thought he would commit murder. Mary Spears, however, thought differently, he said.
“She was just saying that he would come and do that,” Ashton said. “She was so scared that he would (kill her).”
Police drove suspect back to victim’s house
Frederick Spears had only recently returned to live with his wife and stepson. On Sept. 17, he threatened Ashton with two kitchen knives, according to police and Ring camera footage. Officers arrested Spears on one count of assault/family violence, and he was booked into the Arlington City Jail.
On Sept. 18, Frederick Spears bonded out on the condition he not return to Mary Spears’ home or have further contact with the family. Ashton said he and his mother were shocked and angered when an Arlington police officer brought Spears to their home later that day.
According to police, Frederick Spears had said he needed a ride back to his wife’s house so he could pick up his vehicle. In spite of the protective order, an officer drove him to the home. Police haven’t said if the officers involved knew about the protective order.
“The department acknowledges that the officers should not have arranged transportation back to the home,” police said in a news release Wednesday. “Additionally, the department is conducting a comprehensive administrative review to determine whether changes to policy and/or procedures are necessary to ensure this does not happen again.”
Once at the house, Frederick Spears immediately got into an argument, police said. The officer instructed him to leave, and he complied.
Ashton said he doesn’t want the officer who provided transportation for his stepfather to get into trouble, but he wants people to know what happened. Police need to be more aware of what they’re doing, he said. The teen told the Star-Telegram that he’s considering legal action.
Four days later, Frederick Spears returned to the house and killed his wife, according to police. Ashton said he received a frightening text message from his stepfather. He immediately went to check on his mother, and found her bleeding and unresponsive in the back yard. She’d been stabbed several times.
Frederick Spears was arrested in north Arlington on Tuesday. He grabbed a knife and stabbed himself when the officers approached him, according to police. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment and is expected to recover. The 55-year-old faces a murder charge.
Ashton wants his stepfather to know he forgives him. He said it’s what his mother would want, and it’s the right thing to do.
GoFundMe to help with funeral, support children
One of Ashton’s biggest concerns now is finding a place to live where he’ll be allowed to keep his three dogs. Ashton graduated from high school earlier this year. Now he’s trying to navigate life without his mother and doing his best to be strong for his two older sisters, Jordan and Brandi.
“We just don’t know what to do,” he said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover Mary Spears’ funeral expenses and provide support for her children.
This story was originally published September 27, 2025 at 9:46 AM.
