A woman stabbed her daughter and tried to stab herself in an attempted murder-suicide at the Holiday Inn Express in Fenton Tuesday, police said.

Police say officers arrived about 12:34 p.m. and found a woman, 51, dying from stab wounds in a hotel room at the Holiday Inn Express, 1848 Bowles Ave.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police identified the victim as Sharon Theleman, 51, of the 200 block of Laclede Station Road in Maplewood, 63143.

A second woman, 78, was at the scene and had a self-inflicted injury for which she was taken to a hospital for life-saving treatment, police said.

The two are mother and daughter.

The older woman is expected to survive and is currently in police custody.

Police identified her as Marjorie Theleman, 78, of the 700 block of South Laclede Station Road, Webster Groves, 63119.

County prosecutors charged her late Tuesday with one count of first-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action. She is being held on $250,000 bond.

A mugshot of Marjorie Theleman is not yet available.

The mother rented a hotel room and took her daughter, Sharon Theleman, out of the nursing home where the daughter lived and to the hotel room, where she stabbed her daughter to death with a knife, according to the probable-cause statement.

Police know what happened because Marjorie Theleman wrote it out for them.

“The defendant left a typed note explaining her actions,” police said.

Marjorie Theleman also wrote a handwritten note telling housekeeping to call police.

She attempted to suffocate herself with a plastic bag, but was not successful, police said.

The hotel called police when the two did not check out on time.

Fenton is covered by the Fenton Precinct of the St. Louis County Police Department.

The investigation, which is being classified as an attempted murder-suicide, is being led by the St. Louis County Police Department’s Bureau of Crimes Against Persons and “it remains very active at this time,” police said.

Detectives ask anyone with information to contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 and speak to investigators regarding the incident. 

To remain anonymous or potentially receive a reward, police said you can contact CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371TIPS(8477) if you have any information regarding the incident.