24-year-old Tenia Campbell of New York murdered her 2-year-old twins with her ‘bare hands’ before she asked police officers to shoot her, according to court papers.
She was arrested after her toddlers, Jaida and Jasmine, were found suffering from cardiac arrest in her vehicle in Montauk.
Campbell’s mother, Vanessa McQueen, contacted 911 telling officers her daughter had threatened to kill not only herself but also her twin daughters.
Covering her face, Campbell appeared in court and said nothing after her arraignment on two counts of second-degree murder.
McQueen told police in a statement that Campbell admitted to killing the children ‘with bare hands.’ She also told police about her daughter’s ‘very long history of mental disorders’ and struggle with bipolar disorder.
Campbell told her 48-year-old mother: “I killed my babies and now I have to be with them.”
McQueen added: “At one point she said she was going to find the ocean and walk into it and drown so she could be with my babies in Heaven.
“She was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder as a teenager and she has been battling depression and anxiety her whole life.
“I tried so hard to help my daughter Tenia. I love her so much but she has a mental disorder and there was just no talking to her today.”
Suffolk County Police commissioner Geraldine Hard said: “Tenia had parked her car near the entrance of the park, walked to Montauk Highway and started screaming at responding officers to shoot her.
“Tenia, who was at times hysterical, wouldn’t say her whereabouts. During the conversation, Tenia indicated that the girls were already deceased.”
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone added: “Yesterday was something you cannot be prepared for, a scene that you cannot imagine.”
Officers said the children were rushed to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
Neighbor Aleshia Pike described Jaida and Jasmine as cheerful little girls who played outside their Medford home. “They had twin Power Wheel Jeeps, and they would always come outside and ride them around while the brother would chase them, laughing and giggling.”
She added: “They were your just typical little girls, playful happy.”
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