A deranged acupuncturist mother has admitted to strangling her two children to death and attempting suicide, stating she wanted the three of them 'to go to God together,' according to a police report.
The Incident
Janette MacAusland, 49, confessed to killing her seven-year-old son Kai and six-year-old daughter Ella in a bed at the family's $1.5 million home in Wellesley, Massachusetts, on Friday night. The report, obtained by The Boston Globe, detailed that the 'hysterical' mother then drove to her aunt's home in Vermont, banged on the window, and confessed to the crime before her relative called police.
'I strangled them and then I tried to kill myself,' she told an officer with the Bennington Police Department. 'I wanted the three of us to go to God together but it didn't work,' MacAusland added.
She was seen with a visible bloody neck injury in her mugshot.
Discovery of the Children
After hearing her confession, authorities in Vermont notified police in Massachusetts, who conducted a welfare check on the home in the affluent Boston suburb and discovered the deceased children.
MacAusland, who was in the middle of a bitter divorce with her husband Sam, was arrested and charged with two counts of murder.
Court Appearance
She attended a court hearing in Rutland, Vermont, on Monday, wearing a green anti-suicide smock. She covered her face at times and appeared emotional. During the hearing, she agreed to be extradited back to Massachusetts to face the murder charges.
Sandra Mattison, MacAusland's aunt, told police she did not initially recognize her niece when she arrived on her doorstep. After realizing who it was, she let her in before MacAusland told her she killed her kids and tried to take her own life. Mattison recalled seeing 'dried' blood on her niece's neck.
Her aunt also revealed that MacAusland tried to jump from Vermont's Quechee Gorge Bridge but couldn't go through with it.
Divorce Proceedings
Samuel filed for divorce from MacAusland in October 2025, citing an 'irretrievable breakdown.' In early April, the couple agreed to have a court-appointed guardian look after the best interests of their children. The legal battle included feuding over custody and control of their three-bedroom home.
Before their marriage turned ugly, MacAusland praised her husband online, calling him a good partner and father. They married in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, in February 2016.
Background
MacAusland was listed as an acupuncturist with New England Integrated Health, which has since removed her bio. She also worked at Massachusetts General Hospital and founded Boston Acupuncture Trauma Relief after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Sam's father, William 'Bill' MacAusland Jr., was a distinguished orthopedic surgeon.
The children, one in second grade and the other in kindergarten, attended Schofield Elementary School. A growing memorial has appeared outside the family home, with locals leaving flowers, stuffed animals, and heartfelt messages in honor of Kai and Ella.
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing.
