A Wellesley woman is being held in Vermont and charged with two counts of murder of her children, ages 6 and 7, who were found dead in their Wellesley home on Edgemoor Avenue. The suspect, Janette MacAusland, had been in a custody dispute with her husband, according to court records.

Update (4/27/26): Wellesley woman accused of killing her children to be returned to Mass.; Charges indicate offenses took place 2 days before bodies found

According to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police have obtained an arrest warrant for Janette MacAusland, 49, of Wellesley. She is being held in Vermont and is slated to appear on Monday, April 27, in Bennington County Superior Court on a fugitive from justice charge.

The Massachusetts State Police and Wellesley Police Department are working with the Vermont State Police to have the defendant transported to Massachusetts to answer to the murder charges. According to the Bennington Police Department, they were contacted on Friday, April 24 at about 9:15 p.m. and “requested to conduct a welfare check after a woman identified as MacAusland arrived at a family residence in Bennington appearing highly distraught. It was reported that she had a visible neck injury and was bleeding.

According to the police department, “officers attempted to engage her in conversation and, during the interaction, became increasingly concerned for the welfare of her children. As a result, officers requested that the Wellesley Police Department respond to MacAusland’s residence in Wellesley, Massachusetts, to conduct a check on the children.” The Bennington Police Department was assisted by the Bennington Rescue Squad, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, and United Counseling Service.

When Wellesley Police conducted the check at the MacAuslands’ Edgemoor Avenue home, they found the children deceased inside the residence (The Bennington Banner/Vermont News First first reported that the Bennington Police Department had arrested MacAusland and housed her at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland, Vt.)

Edgemoor Avenue is located north of Rte. 9, near the Natick line. “Crime scene” tape was stretched around the home on Edgemoor on Saturday.

Janette MacAusland, an acupuncturist, and her husband, Samuel MacAusland, have been going through divorce proceedings that began when he filed in October, according to Norfolk County probate court records. A joint motion was made earlier this month to continue/reschedule pre-trial conference until early May, as the parents were disputing custody of the children.

The victims—Kai (7) and Ella (6)—were students in the Wellesley Public Schools system, which shared a statement by Superintendent David Lussier:

“We were devastated to learn of the tragic death of two of our WPS students, a second-grader and kindergartener at Schofield Elementary School. This is an unimaginable loss that will be deeply felt not just at Schofield but across our entire community. Our crisis team is planning support for students, staff, and families as we prepare for the reopening of school on Monday. I ask that we all keep this family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

The second grader had attended Hardy Elementary School before Schofield; both children had attended P.A.W.S. pre-school in Wellesley.

Other organizations in town, including the Wellesley Educators Association and Wellesley Mothers Forum, have also issued statements to encourage those in the community who need support to reach out.

Story updated with information from Bennington Police Department on 4/26/26.