A mother charged with two counts of murder after the deaths of her two young children agreed Monday in Rutland County Superior Court to be transferred to Massachusetts, where she will face the charges.
The Massachusetts State Police have charged Janette MacAusland, 49, with murdering her two children, ages 6 and 7, after they were found dead at their home in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Friday.
According to a Bennington police press release, MacAusland arrived at a relative’s home in Vermont on Friday night with a neck injury, bleeding and appearing “highly distraught.”
The relatives called the Bennington police, who then prompted police in Wellesley, Massachusetts, to check on MacAusland’s children. Both were found dead. No details have been released about the cause or manner of death.
The Bennington Police Department arrested MacAusland and took her to Marble Valley Correctional Facility in Rutland, where she has been held without bail.
Appearing virtually in court Monday, MacAusland agreed to waive her right to a hearing and be immediately transferred back to Norfolk County in Massachusetts.
“She’s decided that the best thing is to get back to Massachusetts as soon as possible and address these charges,” Jeff Rubin, her attorney, said at the hearing.
The children’s deaths follow a custody battle between MacAusland and her former husband, according to the Associated Press. MacAusland’s husband filed for divorce in October after nine years of marriage and sought custody of the children and family home.
