Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Janette Reber
Topics: Massachusetts, Crime, Mental Health, US News
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Massachusetts, Crime, Mental Health, US News
A mother has been arrested and charged with the death of her two young children in what local law enforcement have described as 'an unimaginable loss'.
The children of Janette MacAusland, a 49-year-old acupuncturist, were found deceased at their $1.5 million family home in Wellesley, Massachusetts, on Friday night (April 24).
MacAusland then fled to her aunt's house in Bennington – some three hours away from her home – around 9.15pm and started banging on the windows of the property. Her relative, Sandra Mattison, then recognized her niece and let her inside.
Allegedly MacAusland was hysterical, covered in blood, and had a gash on her neck. Her aunt then called the police, asking that they carry out a welfare check on her.
Advert
Mattison later spoke to the cops about her niece. She said in her statement (per New York Post): "I asked where her husband was and she said he was at the lake. I asked her where her children were and she told me that she had killed them."
She continued to tell the police: "Janette told me that she had driven to Quieches [bridge] and tried to jump off the bridge but could not do it. She said she drove to my house."
After officers arrived at the Bennington home, they became increasingly concerned for the welfare of MacAusland's children and shared their concerns with Wellesley cops. Tragically, both children, seven-year-old Kai and six-year-old Ella, were found dead.
Their deaths follow their mother filing for full custody of them after her estranged husband, Samuel MacAusland, filed for divorce in October after nine years of marriage.
Samuel was also seeking custody of their kids, as well as their family home.
Reportedly both parties had just signed a joint motion on April 16, agreeing to have a third party investigate and make recommendations about the custody battle.
Following Friday's tragedy, MacAusland has been charged with two counts of murder and is currently being held at Marble Valley Correctional Facility in Vermont. She waived her right to challenge extradition to her home state, per the Boston Globe.
It's believed that MacAusland has admitted to killing her son and daughter. She's said to have told police: "I wanted the [three] of us to go to God together, but it didn’t work."
The mom-of-two is being held without bail.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.
Or, if you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.