A Washington state woman has been charged with murdering her adult autistic children after she told authorities that she “lost track of the days and believed she had starved them to death,” the Kitsap Sun reports.
According to police, 55-year-old Sherrie Lynn Hill went to a hospital in Silverdale on Thursday, told staff that she was suicidal and said that her nonverbal autistic children were dead.
Silverdale is west of Seattle across Puget Sound.
Hill told hospital staff that she had neglected the 18-year-old twins – Conner and Chelsea – and could not recall the last time she had fed them, according to the newspaper.
The woman told a social worker that she did not specifically intend to harm her children, but that her actions show “how crazy I am,” court documents state, the newspaper reports.
The social worker called 911 and emergency crews performed a welfare check at the home, where the twins were found dead. Hill told investigators that she had been feeling suicidal for more than a month and had attempted to kill herself six times, according to the newspaper, citing court records.
The twins are believed to have died several days ago. Hill asserted that the night before she found them dead, the twins were alive and she had put them in pajamas.
The following morning, Hill said she found the twins naked, unresponsive, and “cold and blue.” She put a blanket over them and never went back into their bedroom. Nor did she not contact authorities for help at the time.
Hill was asked why she did not seek medical assistance, and she responded that the depression was too much, the newspaper reports.
The official cause and manner of death have not yet been released as toxicology tests are pending.”I need to own up to my responsibilities,” Hill told police, according to the Kitsap Sun. “I can’t believe I let this happen.”
Prosecutors have also added special allegations of domestic violence because the victims are Hill’s children, according to the newspaper.
Hill is facing two counts of second-degree murder, for which she has pleaded not guilty, KCPQ-TV reports. She remains in custody.
If you are struggling with mental health, call the National Alliance on Mental Health helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to our latest episode below.
[Feature Photo: Shutterstock]
