Texas Mom Accused of Drowning and Decapitating Son, 5, Told Husband She'd 'Sent [Him] Away'

Lihui Liu was arrested Nov. 30 after the boy's father found his remains

Photo: Houston Police

A Texas mother has been charged with capital murder after she allegedly drowned and decapitated her five-year-old son before disposing his body in the trash, PEOPLE confirms.

Lihui Liu, 43, was arrested Friday after the boy’s father found his son’s body and his severed head inside a trash can at the couple’s Houston home, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s office.

According to the DA’s office, the boy’s father told police that when he returned home from work, Liu allegedly told him she’d “sent away” their son.

She then allegedly told her husband that the boy was in the trash can.

The father then found his son’s decapitated remains wrapped in a black plastic bag inside the can and pulled them out, according to the DA’s office.

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Police were called to the scene around 7 p.m. and found the child’s remains on the garage floor covered with a plastic bag.

The father alleged to police that after his wife told him where the boy’s remains were, she suggested they should “drug and kill” their 13-year-old daughter.

A bloody eight-to-nine inch chef’s knife was found in a vanity drawer in the bathroom. Police also discovered blood in the bathtub, the DA’s office states.

Liu allegedly told police that she drowned her son but wouldn’t talk about the boy’s decapitation, the DA’s office said.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the family received a visit from Child Protective Services in 2015 but it is not known why they were called or what happened. Police said there had been no calls to service at their residence in the last year.

Liu’s next court appearance is scheduled for December 6. It is unclear if she has entered a plea and her attorney could not be reached for comment.

According to court records, she is being held without bail at the Harris County Jail.