Police say the children were found inside an Edgemoor Avenue home after a welfare check.
WELLESLEY, Mass. — A Wellesley mother was charged with two counts of murder after police found her two young children dead Friday night inside a home on Edgemoor Avenue, authorities said.
Janette MacAusland, 49, was being held in Vermont after Massachusetts authorities issued a warrant in the deaths of her children, 7-year-old Kai and 6-year-old Ella. Police said the case began when a Vermont police department asked Wellesley officers to check on family members at the home.
Wellesley police received the request around 9:30 p.m. Friday and went to the house, where they found the children dead. Investigators have not publicly released how the children died. Massachusetts State Police and Wellesley police are investigating with the Norfolk district attorney’s office.
MacAusland was expected to appear Monday in Bennington County Superior Court in Vermont on a fugitive from justice charge. Authorities said they are seeking to return her to Massachusetts to face the murder charges.
Court records show the family was involved in divorce and custody proceedings. Samuel MacAusland filed for divorce in October after nine years of marriage. Both parents later sought custody of the children and ownership of the Wellesley home, according to court records.
On April 16, the parents filed a joint motion agreeing to have a neutral third party review custody questions. A guardian ad litem was appointed April 21, four days before police found the children dead.
The children attended Schofield Elementary School, where school officials said counselors would be available Monday. Superintendent David Lussier said the deaths were “an unimaginable loss” that would be felt across the school and town.
Neighbors described shock on the quiet residential street. One neighbor, James, told CBS Boston the children seemed well cared for and called them “adorable little kids.” Another neighbor, Vicky Chen, said police asked her for camera footage as investigators worked near the home.
The criminal case remained in its early stages Sunday. Officials had not announced a Massachusetts arraignment date, and MacAusland’s return from Vermont was the next step in the case.
Author note: Last updated April 26, 2026.