ATLANTA (AP) – Psychologists and others who study cases of mothers accused of killing their children say such crimes aren’t as uncommon as people might believe. Reliable statistics are difficult to come by, though, because children’s deaths aren’t always categorized in the same way legally.
Some cases, though, become high profile and are covered extensively by local news outlets.
Examples include:
Carla Lopez-Mejia who sedated and strangled her son and daughter at home in Lake of the Hills, Illinois, in January 2017. She then hanged herself.
Carla Watford who shot her two daughters in October 2015 before setting fire to their home in Eunice, Louisiana, and taking her own life.