Wellesley’s Janette MacAusland, who is being charged with murdering her two children, appeared via a live video feed on Monday afternoon in a Rutland, Vt. court, where she waived her right to extradition on a fugitive from justice charge. Under the process, she will be sent back to Massachusetts within 30 days, be booked at the Wellesley Police station, and then face charges by the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office.
Attorney Jeff Rubin, representing MacAusland at the Vermont court hearing, said: “She’s decided that the best thing is to get back to Massachusetts as soon as possible and address these charges.”
The Police Department in Bennington, Vt., about a 3-hour drive from Wellesley, was requested to conduct a welfare check on the MacAusland children, ages 6 and 7, after the woman arrived at an aunt’s residence on Friday night “appearing highly distraught” and was reported to have a visible neck injury.
Wellesley police conducted the wellness check at the MacAuslands’ Edgemoor Avenue home and discovered the children were deceased.
As is typical with suspected homicide cases in this area, the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office, with assistance from state police investigators, takes the lead.
According to a Bennington police report shared with the court and obtained by NBC5 in Vermont, MacAusland said she had strangled her children and attempted to end her own life.
MacAusland’s husband last fall filed for divorce, and the couple was in a custody dispute.
Wellesley Public Schools have been providing support for students, staff, and families, with local police making themselves present as well to offer support.
In a statement issued late today, Superintendent David Lussier said:
Today was an emotional day for our entire district as we grieved the loss of two of our young students. By all accounts, Kai and Ella were shining lights, with close connections to children and adults that extended well beyond the Schofield Elementary School.
Over the weekend, we began organizing support and connecting with our community in preparation for the reopening of school today. On Sunday we hosted separate sessions with our student services professionals, with teachers and staff, and with families. Throughout the day, experts from inside and outside the district shared helpful guidance and answered challenging questions about how to best support students and each other in the days ahead.
This morning, we had additional counseling support in place in all 16 classrooms at Schofield as well as additional counselors at Hardy, where Kai had also been a student for two years. As difficult as today was for our schools, we are so grateful to the entire Wellesley community, which has come forward with countless offers of assistance and an outpouring of love for all who cared for Kai and Ella.
