Mom in custody dispute kills young son, teen daughter and herself, Florida police say
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A Florida mom under court order to surrender her 10-year-old son shot the boy instead, along with her teenage daughter, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Brandy Hutchins then turned the gun on herself, Sheriff Grady Judd said during a news conference.
All three were found dead around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 27, at a home in Lake Wales, Judd said. Lake Wales is about 60 miles east of Tampa.
“We get a call today ... the information we had was that she was inside this mobile home with her 19-year-old daughter and her 10-year old son,” Judd said.
“Here’s what we know: Brandy Hutchins ... from every indication in our investigation now, has murdered her 10-year-old child and her 19-year-old child. ... And then subsequent to that, she shot herself. I can’t imagine a more horrific set of circumstances.”
Investigators believe the shootings were a result of a custody order issued Aug. 24 calling for Hutchins to turn over her 10-year-old son to his father (her ex-husband), who lives in Maine, Judd said.
However, Hutchins never showed up at the prearranged time and place to turn over the boy, and was not heard from again, he said.
“There was absolutely zero evidence in the court order or testimony that he was ... in any danger,” Judd said.
“She has no criminal history. She has no history of (mental illness). There was no indication that there should be any violence, but it was violent.”
Murder-suicide
Up to 600 murder-suicides happen each year, according to the FBI. They account for about 1,000 deaths a year.
“Although uncommon, such incidents vary widely in terms of the persons involved, how they are related, and where the crimes take place,” the FBI reported. “Usually, law enforcement personnel deal with murder-suicides involving two people in domestic settings or relationships.”
About 65% of murder-suicides involve intimate partners, officials said, and 81% happen in the home.
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