An Ohio mother allegedly confessed to killing three of her four children over the past 13 months because she was jealous of the attention her husband was giving them, police say.
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In this Tuesday, August 18, 2015, photo, Bellefontaine Police Chief Brandon Standley, front, and Lt. Rick Herring host a news conference, in Bellefontaine, Ohio, to announce charges against Brittany Pilkington.
Authorities had not been sure what caused the death of 3-month-old Niall Pilkington in July 2014, and it was attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Later investigators say she admitted to killing that child, her 4-year-old, and another 3-month-old previous year.
Melanie Engle, executive director of Logan County Children’s Services, said the agency pushed as hard as it could, and called for state law to be changed to make intervention easier in cases of multiple deaths.
Logan County Prosecutor William Goslee said the mother, 23-year-old Brittany Pilkington, was depressed.
A Bellefontaine mom has confessed to killing her three sons in order to “protect” her daughter. According reports, she evidently believed that if the three boys were completely out of the picture her husband will divert his attention to her.
Pilkington’s father, Ed Cummins, told CNN affiliate WBNS that he was stunned.
When prosecutors questioned her, Pilkington told them that she had suffocated all three boys.
She is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. Then, when Gavin died, officials became suspicious of what’s happening but possessed no evidence to support any claim.
“When asked what should happen to parents who kill their children”, Goslee said, “she said they should be given a second chance and go to counseling”. Brittany and Joe Pilkington briefly left town with Gavin and their daughter to live in Florida with relatives but soon returned, relatives said.
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“I never, no way shape or form abused her”, he said.
