Missouri Mother Confesses to Allegedly Killing Both Her Kids After Trying to ‘Sacrifice Her Son': Police
A woman allegedly confessed to killing her two kids as an act of "sacrifice," police said.
Ashley Parmeley, a mother from Missouri, walked into the Festus Police Department on May 28 and claimed she ended up killing her two children after she attempted to "sacrifice her son," the Independent reported, citing police.
Officers immediately searched Parmeley's vehicle and found the body of her 9-year-old daughter, Scarlet inside the car trunk. She reportedly had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. According to her alleged statement, police said, Parmeley also tried to kill her 2-year-old son, Isaac, in St Francois County.
After finding out that the boy had survived, the mother drove to the Timber Creek Resort, where she allegedly drowned him, police said. The boy was found in the pool of a water fountain and was pronounced dead, court documents stated.
Parmeley was initially charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of both of her kids, WEAU reported. The murder charge for her son, Issac was later upgraded to first-degree murder.
The prosecution also later upgraded the charge for her daughter's death.
Police said officers gathered evidence, including the alleged video footage of Parmeley's car in the area of the crime and testimony from a witness who heard a gunshot in the vicinity of the vehicle. It is still unclear what the mother meant when she allegedly said that she wanted to "sacrifice" her son, WEAU reported.
Ginny Russell, a neighbor of the Parmeley family is heartbroken to hear about Scarlet, who used to play with her daughter, according to WEAU. “She was just an amazing little girl,” she told the outlet.
The community recently held a unique vigil for the two children.
All games at the Twin Cities Little League ballfields were suspended except for the scheduled softball game for Scarlet’s team, the Pink Flamingos. To commemorate Scarlet, the team released balloons at the start of the game.
Brandy Trask, another neighbor told WEAU that Scarlet was her daughter's playmate, and she had never noticed any signs of trouble at home. “I can’t fathom why this would happen to anybody, let alone to two sweet children that had nothing but love in their hearts,” Trask said.
According to WEAU, one of Parmeley's social media posts from 2020 reads: “I isolated myself. I came off as very timid and unfriendly, and in all reality, I needed a friend more than anything. Always questioning if the kids would be happier or better off without me being their primary caregiver because I knew that they deserved a much better role model."
Parmeley previously had custody of her niece, who had since aged out and lives outside her care, the Independent reported. Two separate GoFundMe pages have been set up to help with the kids' funeral expenses.