A pair of five-year-old special needs twins were discovered dead in their beds shortly after their mother tragically took her own life by jumping off a bridge.
The horrific tragedy, according to the New York Post, took place in the Central Florida town of Sanford, in Seminole County.
On Friday (October 20), a motorist called into 911 to report that a woman had pulled over her silver car to the side of the S.R 417 bridge, shimmied out of her car through the passenger’s side, and took a header into the Lake Jesup below.
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Deputies arrived to find 31-year-old Catorreia Hutto’s body in the water below, and it took experienced divers to recover her body from the rough waters.
When it was discovered that Hutto was the mother of five-year-old twins, officers were dispatched to her home to perform a wellness check.
Unfortunately, by the time they arrived at Hutto’s Sanford home, there was another tragedy waiting for them.
The five-year-old twins, Ahmad and Ava Jackson — who had special needs — were also found dead in their beds.
Investigators have not revealed the cause of death of the young twins, but the case is currently being investigated as a murder-suicide.
The motive for the twins’ deaths is also not clear — and even though a gun was found in their bedroom, the twins didn’t have bullet wounds in their bodies, and neither did they show any signs of trauma.
“If (the deputies) did not check the vital signs, they would not know that they had been deceased,” the sheriff said to the outlet.
Hutto’s home was a Habitat for Humanity project — a non-profit organization which aims to provide free and low-cost housing to the needy. Investigators also revealed there was little furniture and food in the home when the bodies of the 5-year-old twins were discovered.
You don’t have to suffer in silence if you’re struggling with your mental health.
Here are some groups you can contact:
Samaritans: Phone 116 123, 24 hours a day, or email jo@samaritans.org, in confidence.
Childline: Phone 0800 1111. Calls are free and won’t show up on your bill.
PAPYRUS: Suicide prevention charity offering professional help and support to children, young people and anyone concerned for someone struggling with life. Call HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039 967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org.
Depression Alliance: A charity for people with depression. No helpline, but it offers useful resources and links to other information.
Students Against Depression: A website for students who are depressed, have low mood, or are suicidal. Click here to visit.
Bullying UK: A website for both children and adults affected by bullying. Click here.
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): For young men who are feeling unhappy. There is a helpline: 0800 58 58 58 or visit the website.
