BRONX, NY – A horrific incident took place in an apartment in the Bronx where twin siblings, aged five, were found unresponsive and declared dead. What had originally been presumed an unfortunate medical occurrence was recently declared a double homicide by the city medical examiner.
The twins, George and Gianna Katanka, were found on the floor of their living room in their East 175th Street apartment on December 18th, 2023. According to a recent announcement from the city medical examiner, both deaths are now considered homicides caused by smothering. This contradicts the initial report of a “medical emergency.”
In the immediate aftermath of the event, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny noted that all indicators at the time pointed to a tragic incident, commending the children’s mother for her active and caring involvement in their lives.
Kenny also revealed that the twins, who were special needs children, had been battling health issues prior to the incident. The boy had been displaying cold symptoms for two weeks and was sent home from school, while his sister had been experiencing symptoms of an ear infection. Their mother reported to police the girl’s unusual behavior, including vomiting and erratic actions like biting and spitting at school.
The deaths took a significant toll on both parents; law enforcement sources noted that the mother was so distressed she required hospitalization, and the father- who had been at work during the incident- was left devastated.
The news of the twins’ deaths was met with disbelief amongst neighbors, who described the mother as attentive and seldom letting her children out of her sight.
Despite the revised cause of death, as of Thursday, the NYPD reported that no arrests had been made in connection to the case.