Five-year-old twins have been found dead in their beds after their mother jumped off a bridge to her death in what investigators believe to be a tragic murder-suicide.
Catorreia Hutto, 31, was seen driving to a lake in Oviedo, Florida, on Friday morning where she got out of her car and was seen jumping from the bridge. Her body was pulled out of the water by local fisherman.
The suicide triggered a wellness check of Hutto’s five-year-old twins, who were discovered dead at their home in their beds, NBC reported.
Deputies found a gun on the ground in Hutto’s house – where the twins were found – but investigators did not find any obvious signs of trauma to their bodies.
The medical examiner is yet to conduct toxicology tests to determine a cause of death.
Five-year-old twins have been found dead in their beds after their mother jumped off a bridge to her death in what investigators believe to be a tragic murder-suicide
Catorreia Hutto, 31, was seen driving to a lake in Oviedo, Florida , on Friday morning where she got out of her car and jumped off the bridge. Her floating dead body was pulled out of the water, Seminole police said
The suicide triggered a wellness check of Hutto’s five-year-old twins, who were discovered dead at their home in their beds
Deputies found a gun on the ground in Hutto’s house – where the twins were found – but investigators did not find any obvious signs of trauma to their bodies
According to the witness who phoned the police – Hutto climbed out of the passenger seat window after parking her silver car on the SR-417 bridge into Lake Jesup and then jumped in.
The twins – Ahmed and Ava Jackson – have special needs. The little boy and girl had not been to school since October 13, according to Sherriff Dennis Lemma.
According to deputies, the house did not have much food or furniture – they suggested this might indicate that the family was struggling financially.
The family’s house was roped off by police as investigators continued to gather evidence from the scene.
The Seminole County Sheriff Department’s office said the series of events fit the description of a murder-suicide.
Hutto had acquired her home through a nonprofit charity, Habitat for Humanity, known for building houses for people who can’t afford them.
Hutto’s mother revealed that her daughter had faced a lifelong battle with depression but there were no outward signs of rapid decline or worrying reports, according to the Sheriff’s office and the Florida Department of Children and Families.
The mother-of-two had been working for a temp agency doing clerical jobs and had been seen at work just a few days earlier, Lemma said.
Hutto’s mother revealed that her daughter had faced a lifelong battle with depression but there were no outward signs of rapid decline or worrying reports
The twins – Ahmed and Ava Jackson – have special needs. The little boy and girl had not been to school since October 13, according to Sherriff Dennis Lemma
One of Hutto’s neighbors – Latoshia Reynolds – said: ‘I am absolutely heartbroken. I have empathy. I don’t have to know her. I have a daughter of my own, and what first comes to be is that she may not have had anyone to reach out to .’
Reynolds said she wondered if Hutto felt isolated.
Hutto’s mother had been in Orlando over the past week and had reportedly missed a call from her daughter’s phone number at around 10 PM on Thursday night. She assumed one of the twins had accidentally called her, according to Lemma.
Lemme publicly identified the twins despite their father’s lack of response to their outreach.