A Massachusetts mother faces two first-degree murder charges after medical examiners determined that her 6- and 7-year-old children died from asphyxiation and a combination of medications, including prescription sedatives.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her two young children has been indicted on first-degree murder charges, with newly released toxicology findings revealing that both children had prescription sedatives and other medications in their systems when they died.
Janette MacAusland, 49, of Wellesley, was indicted Monday, Oct. 19, by a Norfolk County grand jury on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her daughter, Ella MacAusland, 6, and son, Kai MacAusland, 7.
According to The Boston Globe’s Oct. 21 report, the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that both children died from mechanical asphyxia and acute intoxication involving multiple drugs.
The substances identified included zolpidem, a prescription sleep medication sold under the brand name Ambien, and lorazepam, an anti-anxiety medication commonly marketed as Ativan.
Toxicology testing also detected acetaminophen and ibuprofen, two widely available over-the-counter pain relievers.
The findings indicate that the children had been exposed to a combination of medications before their deaths, although investigators have not publicly established how the drugs were administered, who administered them or whether they were intended to incapacitate the children.
The medical examiner classified both deaths as homicides.
The indictment was reported by NBC Boston, which confirmed that the case will proceed in Norfolk Superior Court following the grand jury’s decision.
Prosecutors allege that MacAusland killed the children on or about April 22, 2026, inside the family’s home on Edgemoor Avenue in Wellesley, a Boston suburb.
The children were discovered April 24 after authorities in Vermont contacted Massachusetts police requesting a welfare check.
According to investigators, MacAusland had traveled to her aunt’s residence in Bennington, Vermont, where she arrived distraught and allegedly disclosed that she had killed her children.
Police subsequently entered the family’s Wellesley home and found Ella and Kai deceased in a bed.
Investigators allege that MacAusland admitted strangling the children before attempting to take her own life.
“I strangled them and then I tried to kill myself,” she allegedly told police, according to court documents described in Breitbart News’ Oct. 23 coverage.
Authorities said MacAusland sustained a significant neck injury during an apparent suicide attempt.
She also reportedly told investigators that she had driven to Vermont’s Quechee Gorge Bridge with the intention of jumping but ultimately did not do so.
According to Boston 25 News, MacAusland allegedly told investigators she wanted herself and her children to die together.
“I wanted the 3 of us to go to God together but it didn’t work,” she reportedly said.
Authorities have not announced a definitive motive for the alleged killings.
Court records indicate that MacAusland was involved in divorce and child custody proceedings with her husband, Samuel MacAusland, at the time of the children’s deaths.
Her husband filed for divorce in October 2025, seeking custody of the children and control of the family’s Wellesley residence.
On April 16, less than a week before the alleged killings, the couple agreed to the appointment of a guardian to represent the children’s interests during the custody proceedings.
They were scheduled to return to family court May 5.
The existence of the custody dispute does not establish that it caused the children’s deaths, and prosecutors have not publicly identified it as a motive.
MacAusland was arrested in Vermont and subsequently extradited to Massachusetts to face criminal proceedings.
She previously pleaded not guilty to two murder charges in Dedham District Court and has remained in custody without bail.
The Norfolk County grand jury’s indictment transfers the case to Superior Court, where more serious felony prosecutions are handled.
Her arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 3.
If convicted of first-degree murder, MacAusland could face mandatory life imprisonment without the possibility of parole under Massachusetts law.
The toxicology findings introduce additional questions about the circumstances surrounding the children’s deaths, particularly whether the medications were administered before the alleged strangulations.
However, the precise sequence of events remains under investigation, and officials have not disclosed the concentrations of the substances detected.
The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the medical examiner’s findings, according to the Globe.
The case has drawn renewed attention following the indictment and the release of the autopsy results, which established that both mechanical asphyxia and drug intoxication contributed to the children’s deaths.
MacAusland remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, with further proceedings scheduled for November.
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