Massachusetts Mom Kills Her Two Kids Inside Home While Fighting For Custody With Estranged Husband

A Massachusetts mother is facing charges after her two children were found dead inside their home. At the time, she was in the midst of a custody battle with her estranged husband.

The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said police had been dispatched to conduct a welfare check. When officers arrived at the residence on Edgemoor Avenue in Wellesley, they discovered the two children deceased inside the home.

Forty-nine-year-old Janette MacAusland is accused of killing her two children—a daughter, Ella, and a son, Kai. Their bodies were discovered during a welfare check, though it remains unclear who requested the check at the residence.

MacAusland was not at the scene and was later located and arrested in Bennington, Vermont. Authorities observed that she had a significant neck wound and was bleeding when officers made contact with her.

She was initially taken into custody as a fugitive from justice, according to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. She is expected to be extradited to Massachusetts and appear in court on April 27, where she will face murder charges.

According to court records, MacAusland had been in a custody battle with her estranged husband, Samuel, since October. He initially filed for divorce, and she later responded with a counterclaim in November.

In early April 2026, the court appointed a guardian ad litem- an individual tasked with representing and protecting the children’s best interests during the ongoing proceedings.

Amid these developments, the deaths of the two children have come as a profound shock. The younger child was still in kindergarten, while the older was in second grade at Schofield Elementary School. The heartbreaking case has left the local community reeling.

The Wellesley Public School (WPS) Superintendent, David Lussier, issued an official statement after the murder of the MacAusland kids. He offered comfort to the grief-stricken community after the incident.

He stated, “We were devastated to learn of the tragic death of two of our WPS students, a second-grader and a kindergartener at Schofield Elementary School. This is an unimaginable loss that will be deeply felt not just at Schofield but across our entire community. Our crisis team is planning support for students, staff, and families as we prepare for the reopening of school on Monday. I ask that we all keep this family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

A former babysitter remembered the MacAusland family and particularly the children. The individual revealed that both Ella and Kai were “full of life and laughter” during a statement. In the meantime, another neighbor spoke of the family and said: “They were nice people … always kind, always cheerful."

The suspect was employed as an acupuncturist at New England Integrated Health. As the news of her accusation and arrest broke, her name was struck from the company's official website.