Massachusetts mother accused of killing two children amid custody fight

A Massachusetts custody fight moved through divorce filings, a joint request for a neutral investigator and the appointment of a guardian ad litem in the days before two children were found dead in their Wellesley home, raising hard questions about how family courts and safety checks work when a domestic crisis turns deadly.

Janette MacAusland, 49, of Wellesley, was accused of killing her children, Kai, 7, and Ella, 6. Massachusetts State Police issued an arrest warrant on Saturday, April 25, 2026, charging her with two counts of murder. She was being held in Vermont on a fugitive-from-justice charge and was expected to appear Monday, April 27, 2026, in Bennington County Superior Court as Massachusetts authorities sought her return.

The investigation began Friday night, April 24, when Wellesley police received a call from a Vermont police department asking for a welfare check at the family’s home. Officers found the children dead inside. The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said MacAusland was charged with the killings.

Court records show the family had been in the middle of a divorce and custody dispute for months. Samuel MacAusland filed for divorce in October 2025 after nine years of marriage and sought custody of the children and the home. Janette MacAusland later filed a counterclaim of her own, also seeking custody and the house.

The pace of the case accelerated in April. On April 16, the couple filed a joint motion agreeing to have a neutral third party investigate and make recommendations about custody. Five days later, on April 21, a guardian ad litem was appointed to represent the children’s interests in the case. The timeline places the family’s most formal child-protection steps just days before the deaths.

Kai and Ella attended Schofield Elementary School, where they were in kindergarten and second grade. Superintendent David Lussier said in a statement Saturday night that it was "an unimaginable loss" that would be felt across the community, and asked people to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers. School counselors were scheduled to be on site Monday to support students and staff.

Information about the criminal case, including whether Janette MacAusland had an attorney, was not available Sunday. Attorneys for both MacAuslands could not be reached for comment. For Wellesley, the case leaves behind not only a criminal investigation, but a stark reminder of the limits of custody proceedings when a family’s private conflict becomes a public tragedy.