Grandmother charged with murdering autistic grandsons
An Arizona woman who may have become overwhelmed caring for her twin eight-year-old autistic grandsons told authorities she fatally shot the boys before attempting suicide, according to court documents.
Dorothy Flood, 55, remained jailed on Monday on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder.
It was unclear if she had a lawyer who could speak on her behalf. She was being held on a US$250,000 (AU$350,000) bond and faces an April 15 preliminary hearing.
Flood was the boys’ sole caregiver after their mother died in 2017, according to Tucson authorities.
A possible motive remains unclear, but a former co-worker said Flood may have been overwhelmed by the demands of caring for the children.
“You could see the fear that she had of the future,” Chandra McCord told TV station KOLD.
“She was afraid she wasn’t going to be able to handle it.”
Pima County sheriff’s officials said in court documents they believed Flood would try to kill herself again if she was released.
Flood was arrested last Friday, a day after the boys were found dead inside a home in northwest Tucson.
An interim complaint filed by the sheriff’s department said both Jaden and Jorden Webb were shot multiple times.
Authorities found Flood with symptoms of an apparent overdose from taking an unknown quantity of prescription medication. She was brought to a hospital for treatment and later taken into custody.
“Somewhere, something snapped,” McCord said.
“She loved those grandkids and she loved her family… We just wish she would have reached out. To any one of us at any time.”
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