Mother Charged for Killing Twin 2-Year-Old Daughters: ‘They Were Just Your Typical Little Girls’

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Authorities have charged a 24-year-old Long Island mother for the murder of her twin toddlers.

Police located the mother who was threatening to kill herself and her two 2-year-old twin daughters in a family minivan in a park in Long Island on June 27. The two children were in cardiac arrest and were pronounced dead in a hospital.

Suffolk police have charged mother Tenia Campbell with two counts of second-degree murder of her twin daughters—Jasmine and Jaida, reported Fox News.

Police said there were no visible signs of trauma on the children’s body and it did not give further details on how they died.

What Happened With the Twins?

Campbell’s worried mother gave police a 911 call at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday and started searching for the twins.

According to My Daily News, Campbell’s mother told police: “said she was going to kill herself and her babies.”

“When asked where the children were, she (Campbell’s mom) said they’re already dead,” a dispatcher told responding officers.

The authorities searched across a 60-mile stretch from Medford east to Montauk and at about 4:05 p.m. The three were found inside the family’s minivan parked outside the nature center at Montauk County Park.

“Suffolk County Police Department, assisted by the New York State Police, Suffolk County Park Rangers, Southampton Town Police and the East Hampton Town Police conducted a massive, countywide search for her,” Suffolk police said in a statement, according to Fox News.

The children were in cardiac arrest and were immediately transported to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital whereas Campbell was arrested on the spot, reported ABC7.

Community Reactions

Neighbors were shocked to learn about the death of the toddlers.

Akira Anderson, one of Campbell’s childhood friends and her neighbor told News Day that she saw the mother on Wednesday. She said everything looked alright with Campbell and she cannot believe that it is the same person.

“I didn’t believe it,” Anderson told News Day. “Wrong person. Not her.”

Anderson gave some more details about Campbell’s life. She said she was a home health aide and was kept her life to herself.

“She never seemed like she was going through things,” Anderson said. “If she did, she handled it.”

Aleshia Pike, another neighbor of the family had tears in her eyes while talking about the twins.

“They had twin Power Wheel Jeeps, and they would always come outside and ride them around while the brother would chase them, laughing and giggling,” Pike told Fox News.

“They were just your typical little girls—playful happy,” she said with moist eyes.

Pike in a separate interview told ABC7 that it was a typical family and the kids never showed any signs of neglect.

“The kids were happy, you didn’t see any signs of neglect, nothing. They always had smiles, she looked happy,” Pike said. She told News Day that she hopes the twins went peacefully. “I pray they did,” she said.

According to the neighbors and the police, Campbell also has a 4-year-old son who is in his father’s custody. “Never would have thought she was going through the things she was going through,” another neighbor Roshonda Campbell told ABC7.

“She seemed like she had it all together.”

Campbell will be arraigned on Friday at the East Hampton Town Justice Court.