MANDAN, ND — Authorities in North Dakota say a 22-year-old mother killed two of her young children and seriously wounded a third after a violent attack at a home on Aug. 6. Police said the woman also threatened the children’s father and grandmother during the incident.
According to an affidavit cited by local media, officers found the mother holding a knife to her own throat when they arrived. She was later identified as Kailey Erhart.
Police say children were found with neck wounds in a bedroom
Responders were called to the residence in the afternoon after reports that a mother had stabbed her children. Inside the home, officers found three children lying unresponsive on the floor in a nearby bedroom.
Authorities said the children all had neck wounds. A 5-month-old and a 3-year-old died, while a 1-year-old survived after extensive surgery.
Father says he recorded a video before police arrived
Investigators said the father told them Erhart chased him and the children’s grandmother from the house with a knife. He also said he took a gun from her, disassembled it, and disposed of the parts before she locked him out.
The man reportedly showed police a video on his phone in which Erhart was carrying one of the children and had a pistol on her hip. In the recording, she allegedly said, “Say goodbye to your kids.”
Charges include murder, attempted murder and terrorizing with a dangerous weapon
Police said the couple was in the process of separating when the attack happened. They also said the father had previously reported threats involving Erhart harming herself and the children.
Authorities added that Erhart had been placed in a mental health facility within the previous 12 to 18 months, then was cleared to be around the children after her discharge. She now faces two counts of murder, attempted murder, two counts of terrorizing with a dangerous weapon, three counts of aggravated assault and misdemeanor domestic violence.
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