In a devastating turn of events, a Florida mother took the lives of her two children before ending her own in an apparent murder-suicide. The heartbreaking incident occurred after she lost a child custody battle with her ex-partner. The mother, identified as Brandy Hutchins, allegedly killed her 10-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter before taking her own life inside their family’s mobile home. The tragedy unfolded shortly after a judge ordered Hutchins to hand over custody of her son to his father, who resides in Maine.
Brandy Hutchins failed to comply with the court order, missing the scheduled appointment to relinquish custody of her son by 6 p.m. on Friday. The Polk County sheriff’s office was promptly notified of the violation, and deputies worked tirelessly throughout the weekend to locate the missing child, identified as Aiden Hutchins. Tragically, their search led them to a Lake Wales home on Sunday afternoon, where they discovered the lifeless bodies of the mother, her 10-year-old son, and her 19-year-old daughter.
Sheriff Grady Judd, during a press conference, revealed the grim details of the incident. He stated, “Brandy Hutchins… from every indication in our investigation now has murdered her 10-year-old child and her 19-year-old child — murdered them and then subsequent to that, she shot herself.” The sheriff expressed his disbelief at the horrific circumstances surrounding the tragedy, emphasizing that there were no prior indications of violence or criminal history on the part of the mother. Sheriff Judd also highlighted the rarity of such violent incidents related to court orders.
It is important to note that the 19-year-old daughter had a different father than her younger brother and was not involved in the custody battle. The father of the 10-year-old boy, devastated by the loss, took to social media to announce his missing son’s murder at the hands of his mother.