WELLESLEY, Mass. — A Wellesley mother is expected to face a judge in Vermont on Monday after investigators say she killed her two young children inside the family’s home.
Janette MacAusland, 49, is slated to appear in Rutland Superior Court in Vermont on a fugitive from justice charge. Authorities said she will then be returned to Massachusetts, where she will face murder charges.
Crisis counselors were also scheduled to be at Wellesley schools on Monday to help classmates and staff cope with the devastating news.
Authorities say the investigation began in Vermont, where police were called to a family member’s home after MacAusland arrived with a bleeding wound on her neck and appeared highly distraught.
Vermont police said their concern about MacAusland’s condition led them to contact Wellesley police to conduct a welfare check at her home. Officers found both children dead inside the residence on Edgemoor Avenue on Friday night.
The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said 49‑year‑old MacAusland is accused of killing her 6‑ and 7‑year‑old children, a boy and a girl.
Both attended Schofield Elementary School in Wellesley.
“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,” Superintendent David Lussier said in a statement.
Neighbors described the children as active and frequently seen playing outside.
“They seemed lovely. They always smiled. The parents always smiled,” one neighbor said. “We watched them get a little older. They were riding their bikes. Very surprising to hear. None of this seems consistent with what we’ve seen.”
Another neighbor said the children were “really lovely and active,” adding it was “really hard to believe they are not here anymore.”
MacAusland and her husband were in the midst of a divorce filed in October of last year, with disputes involving the children’s care and living arrangements, according to documents obtained by Boston 25.
An investigation into the deaths of the children remains ongoing.
MacAusland is being held at the Marble Valley Correctional Facility without bail.
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