A Missouri mother came to a police station Tuesday morning and confessed to killing her two young children, authorities said.
Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak said at a news conference that suspect Ashley Parmelee, 36, walked into the Festus Police Department about 10:30 a.m. with unkempt hair and wet clothing and told officers she had shot her 9-year-old daughter and drowned her 2-year-old son.
“This is truly a tragedy for our community,” Marshak said. “Please pray for the family and I would ask that you also say special prayers for the first responders.”
The 9-year-old girl was found with apparent gunshot wounds in the back seat of the suspect’s vehicle parked outside the police station. Officers rushed to administer life-saving measures but were unsuccessful. Marshak said the girl was believed to have been shot along Highway E in St. Francois County.
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Authorities said Ashley Parmelee, 36, turned herself in to the Festus Police Department on Tuesday morning and told officers she had shot her 9-year-old daughter and drowned her 2-year-old son. (Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office)
Police found the body of a 2-year-old boy in the water near the entrance to Timber Creek Resort on Highway 67. Police jumped into the water to try to save his life, but were unsuccessful.
Police found the body of a 2-year-old boy in the water near the entrance to Timber Creek Resort. (FOX2 St. Louis KTVI)
Marshack said a third child, not the suspect’s child but a relative, was found safe and well. Parmelee had custody of the child at one point, but Marshack declined to provide further details.
Authorities said the 9-year-old girl was found with an apparent gunshot wound in a car parked outside the police station. (FOX2 St. Louis KTVI)
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Parmelee, a Peverly resident, is charged with one count of second-degree murder in connection with the death of his 2-year-old son.
The sheriff’s office said the homicide investigation remains ongoing. (FOX2 St. Louis KTVI)
The investigation into the death of Parmelee’s 9-year-old daughter remains ongoing, but investigators said they plan to file charges through the St. Francois County Prosecutor’s Office.
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The sheriff’s office has not yet released the children’s names, and further details about the case were not immediately available.
