A probable cause hearing for Janette MacAusland, the Wellesley mother accused of killing her two children in April, has been rescheduled from July 13 to Sept. 10, according to court records. The defendant’s motion to have the hearing continued was filed and allowed on July 9.

At the hearing, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts must present sufficient evidence to prove probable cause to send the case to a Grand Jury. The Grand Jury proceeding would be closed off to the public, and the Commonwealth would be required to present evidence to obtain an indictment, or a formal, written accusation issued by the Grand Jury charging her with committing a specific crime.

The Commonwealth can also go directly to a Grand Jury to seek the indictment, rather than presenting evidence at a probable cause hearing. If it is acquired, the case would be sent to the Norfolk County Superior Court for trial before a 12-person jury.

MacAusland, 49, was arraigned in Dedham District Court on May 6 and was ordered committed without bail to Norfolk County Correctional Center. 

She was arrested in Vermont and charged with two counts of murder on April 24 after appearing at a relative’s home in distress. When making a subsequent welfare check at MacAusland’s home, Wellesley police discovered her two children, Kai (7) and Ella (6), were deceased.

At the time, MacAusland had also been in the middle of divorce and custody proceedings at Dedham District Court.

Wellesley’s James Floyd Bennett III, who was arrested on Thursday night after allegedly stabbing his father to death at Phillips Park, was arraigned on Friday on a murder charge in Dedham District Court. A not guilty plea was entered on Bennett III’s behalf, and he is being held without bail.

The suspect’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 10 for a probable cause hearing.

The 24-year-old Bennett III, known as Trip, had been playing soccer with his father and talking about the World Cup at the Wellesley Hills park before things allegedly turned violent for reasons to be determined, according to authorities. His father, 58-year-old James Floyd Bennett Jr., was pronounced deceased on Thursday night after being rushed to Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Wellesley Police responded to the tragic scene at the park after receiving multiple 911 calls, and were assisted by state and other local police departments. The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office is taking the lead on the case.

Prosecutor Anne Yas told the court on Friday that “A witness heard the victim screaming for help. He screamed, ‘He’s stabbing me. He’s killing me.'” She said the elder Bennett had suffered about 20 stab wounds, and that his last words to authorities were letting them know his son had attacked him. Authorities found Bennett Jr. bleeding beneath at slide at the park’s playground, Yas said.

The prosecutor said that after the attack Bennett III headed to the home he shares with his mother, took a photo of himself, cleaned up, put his clothes and the knife into a garbage bag, and went to the Wellesley Police station to turn himself in. The prosecutor said the younger Bennett seemingly didn’t realize his father had died.

Defense attorney William Crowe said outside the court house on Friday that family members were in attendance to support the younger Bennett while mourning the loss of his father. In the court, Crowe told the judge that the younger Bennett has a significant mental health history that would need to be explored during further proceedings. (See Boston Globe story on Bennett III’s mental health struggles.)

The fatal stabbing has further shaken Wellesley, which before this year had not experienced a homicide in town since 1999. A memorial on a bench nearby the Phillips Park incident is dedicated to the MacAusland children, allegedly killed in Wellesley at home by their mother in April.

Wellesley Police shortly before 6pm on Thursday responded to 911 calls about a man suffering from an apparent stab wound or wounds at the Phillips Park playground off of Washington Street and near the Brook Path.

The 58-year-old victim was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased, according to a press release issued by the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office.

While the victim’s name was not included in the release, police were heard on a scanner during the call identifying him as James Floyd Bennett, Jr. of Wellesley. He was an entrepreneur, known as Jamey, whose interests included sailing, fishing, and woodworking.

Police have arrested one of his sons, James Floyd Bennett III, a 2020 Wellesley High graduate known as Trip, in connection with the stabbing. The suspect turned himself in to police on Thursday night after first returning home.

Wellesley Police are working with State Police on the investigation, and were supported by other local departments during the initial search for the suspect, which stretched from the park down to Lower Falls, where the victim lived.

Bennett III was scheduled to be arraigned on Friday, June 26, at Dedham District Court to face charges.

Heavy emergency vehicle activity was reported by those in the area of the Phillips Park early Thursday night, and the area has been cordoned off with crime scene tape.

Wellesley’s Janette MacAusland during an arraignment hearing on Wednesday at Dedham District Court entered a not guilty plea in connection with first-degree murder charges of her two young children.

The 49-year-old MacAusland was ordered held without bail. Her next hearing, for probably cause, is set for July 13. The court recommended that the defendant be held at Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee.

MacAusland was arrested on April 24 in Vermont after showing up at a relative’s home in a distraught condition. Wellesley police discovered upon making a subsequent welfare check at the MacAuslands’ home that the two children, Kai (7) and Ella (6), were deceased.

Vermont police say MacAusland confessed to strangling her children to death. Court records show the offenses are believed to have taken place on April 22.

Janette MacAusland waived her right to extradition, agreeing to be returned to Massachusetts to face charges. The investigation into the deaths is being led by the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office.

MacAusland had been in the middle of divorce and custody proceedings at Dedham District Court.

The Wellesley community has rallied over the past two weeks to honor the memory of the children and to support one another.

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.

The Wellesley Police Department is investigating an act of vandalism targeting a residence on Arden Road. On Wednesday morning, officers responded to a call regarding 20 Arden Road and found that the five-bedroom home overlooking Beebe Meadow, in the Dana Hall area of town, had been defaced.

According to police reports, the property—which was recently acquired by a new homeowner—suffered physical damage including a broken glass slider. In addition to the structural damage, the vandals spray painted the rear exterior of the white house.

A resident provided a photograph of the damage to Swellesley, however, the specific words spray-painted onto the structure were not legible. Police have not released information regarding potential suspects, or a description of the graffiti.

Anyone with information regarding the incident or suspicious activity in the Arden Road area on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning should contact the Wellesley Police at 781-235-1212.

The Boston Police Department this week said it has arrested two Wellesley residents in connection with a shooting in Dorchester during an alleged home invasion. The department worked with Wellesley and other law enforcement teams on the investigation, stemming from an incident in late January, to make the arrest on Feb. 26 at The Nines apartment complex in Wellesley. More details from the Boston Police.

(Hat tip to Universal Hub on uncovering this news.)