WELLESLEY, Mass. — Ella and Kai MacAusland, who were allegedly killed by their mother back in April, were laid to rest in Wellesley yesterday. Family and friends gathered at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church to celebrate their lives.
Samuel MacAusland, their father, spoke for the first time since his children were found dead in their home about a month ago.
Janette MacAusland, their mother, is being held on bail and charged with murder. She has pleaded not guilty.
Both Janette and her husband were going through a custody battle and divorce at the time their children were found dead.
MacAusland allegedly showed up to her aunt’s house in April and confessed to killing both children. She said she had also tried to kill herself in the process.
[ Wellesley mother accused of killing children confessed to strangling them, court documents reveal ]
“Thank you Kai and Ella for being part of our lives, thank you so much for bringing joy to our daughter’s lives. Our street is too quiet now, our lives feel duller, we miss you and you will live on in our hearts,” said a family friend during the service.
She recounted about the last time she saw both of them, around a fire pit in the backyard where Kai had eaten too many smores and Ella had just learned a new dance routine and was jumping on the trampoline.
“The very best of Kai and Ella was the amazing connection that they had with each other, and the comradery we saw grow from day one through the rest of their lives,” she said.
“Ella and Kai’s world was of school, with friends, birthday parties, monkey bars, and tire swings,” their dad said during the service on Saturday.
“Holidays filled their imaginations with Jack-O-Lanterns, Santa Claus, easter bunnies, and leprechauns. Many of their favorite books were about ferries, unicorns, mermaids, and of course rainbows. They were as real as the pages the stories were written on,” he said.
Purple and pink were their favorite colors, he said, while hearts and rainbows were their favorite subjects to draw. Kai loved his car collection, which he earned over the years, and while driving up and down Route 9 often recognized and pointed out the full-sized versions by name.
“For Ella, she loved dressing up in costumes with the neighbors for dance class and with her own creative combinations from her wardrobe even if they were too small or too big,” their father said.
She was very active and loved to dance, swim, and sing.
“The most wonderful thing I loved about them was the way they helped each other,” he said.
“If Ella was upset about something, Kai would help her out with rainbow breathing or with finger training exercises.”
Samuel read the lyrics of a song that Ella had sang recently, titled “Rainbow.”
“Rainbow, shine down on my family. You’re such a pretty rainbow. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet,” he said.
“Rainbow colors, shine down on my family.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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