police patrol car at night.Photo: Getty
TheSeminole County Sheriff’s Officein Florida is investigating thedeath of a motherand her two young twins.
On Friday, Sheriff Dennis Lemma spoke to reporters at a news conference about what law enforcement says wasan isolated murder-suicide.
According to the sheriff, early Friday morning, deputies with the department responded to a call from an eyewitness who “saw a motorist stop their vehicle on the crest on the [SR-417] bridge.”
The caller told officials that a woman seemed to slide out of the passenger window of her vehicle and jump into the St. Johns River in “what appeared to be an attempt at a suicide,” Lemma said.
5-year-old twins found dead in Sanford home after mom jumps off bridge.WKMG News 6
WKMG News 6
The victim was identified as 31-year-old Catorreia Hutto. She would have turned 32 years old on Oct. 29.
As the press conference continued, Lemma stated that Hutto had “no known prior history, whatsoever.” The sheriff spoke to reporters on the street she lived on withher two children, 5-year-old twins — Ahmad and Ava Jackson.
Deputies investigating Hutto’s death entered the home and found Ahmad and Ava, “who appeared at first to be sleeping.” They were later discovered to bedeceased inside the home, Lemma said.
“Mom jumps off the bridge, commits what’s obviously now a suicide, and what looks to be a homicide that is contained within this house,” he added.
Lemma stated that deputies conducteda well-being checkon the children but then exited to obtain a search warrant so that a more extensive search could be performed.
While inside the home, officials “saw no signs of trauma” to the children, which included “no pools of blood.” However, they did find a firearm on a bedroom floor of the residence and “some live rounds that were on the ground.”
According to Lemma, “There was not much food inside the house” and “there was not much furniture inside the house which looked like the family may have beenstruggling financially.”
He previously stated that Hutto’s home was built in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, but added that there was “no indication” that any of those factors played a role in Friday’s circumstances.
Hutto’s last communication was a phone call to her mother that “went unanswered,” per Lemma.
Officials spoke with Hutto’s mother, who told them she assumed the call came from one of the kids, and never thought to call back, Lemma said.
The Florida Department of Children and Families was also on the scene Friday and Lemma said the organization had no prior contact with Hutto or her children at the residence.
The sheriff stated that at this point in the investigation, there is no one they’ve spoken to that gave any inclination that Hutto wasfeeling suicidal, or homicidal, or in dire need of assistance.
Hutto’s mother told authorities that her daughter struggled with depression throughout her life, “but there’s been nothing to indicate that she may act out with this level of violence towards her children or commit suicide," said Lemma.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
