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Wellesley Mother Charged With Killing 2 Children, Held in Vermont

Extradition proceedings highlight a cross-state investigation with key facts still under wraps.

Overview

  • Janette MacAusland faces two murder charges and is due in Bennington County Superior Court on Monday on a fugitive from justice charge as Massachusetts seeks her return.
  • Wellesley police found 7-year-old Kai and 6-year-old Ella dead in their home Friday night after Vermont officers asked for a welfare check.
  • Vermont authorities say relatives called police when MacAusland arrived in Bennington distraught and bleeding from the neck, which prompted the check in Massachusetts.
  • Investigators have not said how the children died, and Massachusetts and Vermont police continue to collect evidence and coordinate next steps.
  • The deaths came during a contentious divorce and custody case, with a guardian ad litem appointed April 21 and a May 5 probate hearing on the calendar, as the children’s school readies counseling for students and staff.