Tennessee mom shot 34 bullets into adopted children before killing herself

A recently-released autopsy report found that a Tennessee mother shot a total of 34 rounds into her four teenaged children before taking her own life in mid-October.

Per WKRN, Kaileigh Lin, 17, was found dead in the bathroom and sustained 17 gunshot wounds; Lia Lin, 15, was found dead in her bed and had nine gunshot wounds; and Bo and Meigan Li, both 14, were also found dead in their beds with four and eight gunshot wounds, respectively. The cause of death for all four children, who were reportedly adopted, was a homicide.

Meanwhile, the autopsy report stated that their stay-at-home mother, Cynthia Collier, 55, died from a gunshot wound to the head. Deeming her death a suicide, the report mentioned that a note was left behind at the home, according to the news station.

A shotgun and another firearm were reportedly used in the slayings. The autopsy found that alcohol or drugs weren’t detected in the children and mother’s systems.

The Tennessean reported that an older brother who also lived at the Columbia home called police after discovering the five bodies on the evening of October 15.

The mother and her husband, Randall Collier, have two adult sons and an adult daughter and reportedly adopted the four children from China. Months before the slayings, the children reportedly asked to live with their mother after the pair began divorce proceedings this past spring. Reports indicated that she homeschooled the four children.

Citing court documents, the newspaper reported that the couple asked for the case to be dismissed in late May as they were working to reconcile.

WKRN reported that authorities said they were never previously called to the home, which they described as immaculate.

Despite Friday’s autopsy report, a motive remains unclear in October’s murder-suicide.

 

[Featured image: WKRN]