Judge Rejects Request for Release
A Massachusetts mother charged in the deaths of her two young children asked a judge to set her free and dismiss the murder case against her. Janette MacAusland, 49, faces two counts of first-degree murder in the April deaths of her 7-year-old son, Kai, and 6-year-old daughter, Ella. Her attorney, Joseph Krowski, argued that prosecutors had not presented enough information to justify keeping her in custody. The judge rejected that request and ordered MacAusland held without bail, according to the New York Post.
Police Say She Went to Vermont After the Children Died
Authorities say the case began after MacAusland appeared at her aunt’s home in Bennington, Vermont, on April 24 with a bloody gash on her neck and in an emotional state. According to a Vermont police report cited by CBS News, MacAusland allegedly told her aunt, “I wanted the three of us to go to God together but it didn’t work.” She later told an officer, “I strangled them and then I tried to kill myself.” She also said the children were in her bed, according to the report.
Children Found Dead in Wellesley Home
Wellesley police found Kai and Ella dead inside the family home on Edgemoor Avenue. Officers described blood spatter throughout the scene. MacAusland had traveled about 140 miles to Vermont before she was arrested there as a fugitive from justice. She waived extradition and was returned to Massachusetts, where she now faces the two first-degree murder charges. She has pleaded not guilty.
Custody Dispute Was Already Underway
The alleged killings took place during a divorce and custody fight between MacAusland and her estranged husband, Samuel MacAusland, according to the New York Post. Samuel MacAusland filed for divorce in October after nine years of marriage and sought custody of the children, along with possession of the family home. Janette MacAusland filed a counterclaim seeking the same. Three days before the children were killed, a guardian was appointed to review the dispute and make recommendations on custody.
Medical Examiner Results Still Pending
Prosecutors told the court Thursday that they still do not have the official manner and means of death from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. A grand jury that had been hearing the case was dismissed and is expected to be reconvened after those results are received. The next court date is set for late October. MacAusland’s attorneys are reportedly seeking to frame the case around her mental condition. Krowski said his client should not be treated as “Lindsay Clancy 2.0,” referring to the Massachusetts mother who admitted strangling her three children and claimed she was suffering from postpartum psychosis. “There’s been a discussion, a discourse opened up in this country about whether or not we want to criminalize mental illness,” Krowski said, according to the Post.
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