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 on Friday, April 24 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 on April 24 that the children were deceased. While details of the police findings have not been released, felony charges filed by the Norfolk County DA’s office cite the offenses of having taken place on April 22, two days before that.
As is typical with suspected homicide cases in this area, the Norfolk County DA’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, according to probate court records.
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 Monday, April 27, 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.
Separately, Wellesley Select Board Chair Marjorie Freiman opened the board’s April 27 session with words of support for the community on behalf of the board:
We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of two young lives in our community. This is a time of profound grief for our entire community and there are no words that can fully express the sorrow we feel. We recognize that many are struggling to process what has happened and we encourage residents to look out for one another in the days ahead. Our hearts are with the loved ones, classmates, neighbors, school faculty and staff, and everyone who is feeling the weight of this loss. We are extremely grateful to our first responders and public safety officials for their swift and professional response. We are also indebted to school officials and critical incident support professionals and counselors who are supporting our students and their families, faculty, and police officers. The appropriate authorities are conducting a thorough investigation and the board supports and respects the integrity of that process. We cannot make sense of these distressing events, but we can respond with compassion, with care, and with a commitment to support one another through grief. We are reminded of how closely we are connected and how deeply we depend upon one another. May we all be the best of ourselves as we move forward in the coming days and weeks.
This post was updated on 4/28/26 to include latest information from court filings and from the Select Board.
