by A Kentucky mother accused of fatally shooting her two young sons reportedly told police it was an “accident.”
Tiffanie Lucas, 32, faces two counts of murder in the November 8 deaths of nine-year-old Jayden Howard and six-year-old Maurice ‘Peanut' Baker Jr.
He is accused of shooting the boys in the head at the family's home in Shepherdsville around 11am.
Ms. Lucas faced a preliminary hearing on Nov. 14, where Bullitt County Detective Richard Beahl testified about his interview with the mother after the children were found dead.
Det Bill said when he asked Ms Lucas if she wanted to harm her children, she “indicated it was an accident”.
She allegedly told him: “I'm in such a bad place”, “I'm such a fool” and “I would never do something like this if I wasn't being manipulated”.
Det Bill explained that Ms Lucas claimed she was manipulated into carrying out the murders “via Facebook, the internet or WiFi”.
After the murders, Ms. Lucas ran from her home and collapsed in a neighbor's driveway, saying “her children were dying,” according to a criminal complaint.
Nine-year-old Jayden Howard (left) and six-year-old Maurice Baker Jr (right) were allegedly shot by their mother Tiffanie Lucas
(Alms)
The neighbor then went to the house and found the children dead in a bedroom.
A total of four shots were fired, the criminal complaint states.
The preliminary hearing concluded with District Court Judge Jennifer Porter finding probable cause to send the case to a grand jury for indictment.
According to WLKY, Bullitt County Sheriff's Office Chief Lt. Col. Alex Payne said officials “did everything we could” when responding to the tragedy.
“Whether you think it's mental illness, just plain evil, a combination of both, it could be substance abuse, any combination of them. Pick your poison. Nothing is good. The result is appalling,” Mr Payne said.
The mother had previously spent a month in jail for drug possession, according to the TV station.
The children are reportedly half-siblings. The father of one of the sons is dead, the official said, while the whereabouts of the other father are unknown. Authorities notified other family members about the incident.
Darrell Howard, an older brother of the boys, told WLKY that he had raised the alarm about Ms. Lucas to child protective services in the past.
“We wanted them. We would have welcomed them with open arms. We loved them so much,” she said. “I should have done more. If I wanted to grab the boys from the house, I would do it and carry it on my back for the rest of my life — for both boys.”
Ms. Lucas is being held on $2 million bond.
