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Custody fight turns fatal
A Massachusetts mother, Janette MacAusland, 49, was charged with two counts of murder after police found her two children dead inside their Wellesley, Massachusetts home on Edgemoor Avenue following a cross-state welfare check request that began in Bennington, Vermont.
“police received a call for a well-being check on family members at a home on Edgemoor Avenue in Wellesley around 9:30 p.m. on Friday”
Law and Crime News reported that police received a call for a well-being check at the home around 9:30 p.m. on Friday, and authorities discovered the two deceased children inside.
The children were identified as 6-year-old Ella and 7-year-old Kai, and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office said MacAusland was charged in connection with their deaths.
The New York Post said MacAusland confessed to a Vermont cop when she was found at her aunt’s house in Bennington, telling officers, “I strangled them and then I tried to kill myself,” according to a police report.
The Boston Globe described the timeline as beginning around 9:15 p.m. Friday, when officers were asked to check on a woman who arrived at a “family residence” in Bennington “appearing highly distraught.”
The Boston Globe added that at about 9:50 p.m., Massachusetts officers found the two children dead inside the house on Edgemoor Avenue.
Multiple outlets tied the case to a contentious divorce and custody dispute, with Law and Crime News saying MacAusland and her husband, Samuel MacAusland, had been locked in a custody battle since divorce proceedings started in October.
How the confession unfolded
The account of how police discovered the children’s bodies centers on MacAusland’s arrival at a relative’s home in Bennington, Vermont, and her statements to family and officers.
MassLive reported that just before 9 p.m. on Friday, MacAusland arrived at her aunt’s home on Northside Drive in Bennington, and her aunt, Sandra Mattison, said she didn’t initially recognize her niece because of a cut on her neck.
MassLive said Mattison checked the blood on MacAusland’s neck and determined it was dry, then called police after MacAusland told her she tried to kill herself.
MassLive quoted Mattison’s account that when asked where her husband was, MacAusland said he was “at the lake,” and when asked where the children were, she told her aunt that she had killed them.
MassLive further reported that MacAusland told her aunt she drove to the Quechee Gorge and “tried to jump off the bridge but could not do it,” and then drove to Mattison’s home.
When police spoke to MacAusland, MassLive said she retrieved a photo of her family and handed it to an officer, and when asked if the children were alright, MacAusland shook her head side to side.
MassLive then reported that when she was asked where the children were, she replied, “I strangled them and then I tried to kill myself,” according to the report.
Custody timeline and court moves
Across multiple reports, the case is framed as unfolding during divorce and custody proceedings between Janette MacAusland and Samuel MacAusland, with court steps taken shortly before the deaths.
“investigate the issues of legal custody and parenting plan issues ... in order to formulate recommendations and write a report for the court”
Law and Crime News said MacAusland and Samuel MacAusland had been locked in a custody battle since divorce proceedings started in October, with Samuel initially filing for divorce and Janette filing a counterclaim in November.
MassLive added that probate and Family Court records show Samuel filed for divorce in October 2025, and that the pair married in February 2016 in Costa Rica.
MassLive reported that on April 16, both sides asked for a Guardian ad Litem to be appointed to “investigate the issues of legal custody and parenting plan issues ... in order to formulate recommendations and write a report for the court,” and that the court filing suggested the guardian spend 35 hours investigating.
MassLive said the guardian, Dante S. Spetter, was appointed on April 21, just days before the children were found dead.
Patch reported that on April 16, the couple filed a joint motion agreeing to have a neutral third party investigate and make recommendations about the custody battle, and it also said a guardian was appointed Tuesday.
The Boston Globe described the appointment scheduled to take effect April 21 and said the couple was due back in court May 5 for a pretrial conference.
Voices from police, lawyers, and schools
Statements from law enforcement and legal representatives appear alongside comments from school officials and people who knew the family.
Bennington Police Chief Paul Doucette told the Bennington Banner that officers “became increasingly concerned for the welfare of her children,” prompting them to call police in Massachusetts, and the Bennington Banner said the children were found dead inside the residence.
Patch quoted Norfolk District Attorney Press Officer David Linton saying, “At this time, we are arranging for her return and no date is set,” and it added that “The court allowed two weeks for her return.”
MassLive quoted Jeff Rubin, a lawyer representing MacAusland, saying, “decided the best thing is to get back to Massachusetts as soon as possible and address these charges,” on Monday.
The Boston Globe included a statement from Schofield Elementary School and Wellesley Public Schools Superintendent David Lussier, who said, “We were devastated to learn of the tragic death of two of our WPS students,” and added, “This is an unimaginable loss that will be deeply felt not just at Schofield but across our entire community.”
People reported that Wellesley Police Department said counselors were available for students Monday “to provide support and services” at the Wellesley Public School System.
The Boston Globe and Mirror US both quoted former babysitter Cale Darrah describing the children as happy and healthy, including Darrah’s line, “Never did I enter the house and feel like there was anything that was extremely off.”
Competing details and next steps
Even as outlets agree on the core facts of the welfare check and the deaths, they diverge on specific details such as the number of hours spent by the guardian and the exact sequence of events and dates.
“the court filing suggests the guardian spend 35 hours investigating”
MassLive said the guardian was appointed on April 21 and that the court filing suggested the guardian spend 35 hours investigating, while Patch described a guardian being appointed Tuesday after the April 16 joint motion.
The Boston Globe said the appointment was scheduled to take effect April 21 and that the couple was due back in court May 5 for a pretrial conference, while People and Patch emphasized MacAusland’s Monday court appearance and waiver of extradition.
People reported that MacAusland signed papers agreeing to waive her extradition rights, and it said the court agreed to extradite her back to Massachusetts within the next two weeks, while Patch said the court allowed two weeks for her return and quoted David Linton that no date was set.
The Boston Globe said the investigation remains active and that investigators have not publicly described what may have happened in the home, while the New York Post and MassLive focused on MacAusland’s confession to strangling and attempted suicide.
Looking ahead, the Boston Globe said Massachusetts State Police and Wellesley police are working with Vermont State Police to have MacAusland returned to Massachusetts to face the charges, while the Bennington Banner reported that Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey’s Office said Massachusetts State Police and Wellesley Police Department are working closely with Vermont State Police to transport the defendant to Massachusetts.
The Bennington Banner also included a dispute over involvement, stating that Vermont State Police said Sunday their department is not involved in the case and it was Bennington Police responsible for the investigation and homicide charges.
