By Jerald Jimenez
May 29, 2024, 16:47 PM EDT
A 36-year-old woman, identified as Ashley Parmeley, showed up at the Festus, Missouri, police station on Tuesday morning, confessing to killing her two children, ages 9 and 2, local authorities reported.
The woman, who appeared visibly disheveled and wearing wet clothing, informed officers that she had shot her 9-year-old daughter and drowned her 2-year-old son. Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak shared the tragic events during a press conference.
“This is a great tragedy for our community,” Marshak declared. “Please pray for the family and I ask that you say a special prayer for our first responders.”
The 9-year-old girl, Parmeley’s daughter, was found in the back seat of the suspect’s car, parked outside the police station, with an apparent gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead despite officers’ efforts to save her life.
The body of Parmeley’s 2-year-old son was later found in the water near the entrance to the Timber Creek Resort on Highway 67. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The sheriff’s office has not immediately released the children’s names.
For its part, a third child, who was a relative and not the suspect’s son, was found safe and sound. The suspect had had custody of the child at one point, but the sheriff did not provide details about it.
Parmeley was formally charged with one count of second-degree murder in connection with the death of her 2-year-old son. Meanwhile, the investigation into the death of Parmeley’s 9-year-old daughter continues, and investigators intend to file charges through the St. Francois County Prosecutor’s Office.
With information from Fox News