Honk News (Johnson City, TN) – Authorities in Tennessee provided chilling testimony in court this week regarding a mother who took the lives of her 1-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter by suffocating them with a blanket featuring a popular animated duo.
Jessica Chandler, 29, faces serious charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in connection with the tragic deaths of her children, Vista and Eli Chandler. On October 29, the Johnson City Police Department arrived at the residence after the father of the children discovered them unresponsive.
On Tuesday, Officer Gary Price testified that he arrived at the scene following a 911 call and discovered the father performing CPR on one of the children in the front yard.
Medical personnel arrived to assist Vista and Eli as he entered the house. He reported discovering Chandler in the bathtub, her arms marked with cuts.
Paramedics rushed Chandler to the hospital, but unfortunately, the children could not be saved. Authorities have launched an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the two young children. They swiftly collected crucial evidence. Investigator Michael Fowler provided testimony regarding the recovery of three notes that were taped to cabinets located near the entrance.
He stated that Chandler penned letters confessing to the murders and expressed intentions to take her own life. She expressed that one of her motivations was her belief that she was unable to safeguard them, Fowler testified.
Initially, authorities suggested that Chandler might have administered poison to the children, given the absence of any signs of trauma. However, a later conversation with Chandler revealed yet another significant aspect of the situation.
An autopsy revealed that the cause of death for the children was asphyxiation due to smothering.
A judge has decided that sufficient evidence exists to move forward with presenting the case to a grand jury, according to reports from WJHL. She is currently held at the Washington County Jail with a bond set at $2 million. Her next court appearance is scheduled for March 31.