In a distressing case, 32-year-old Tiffanie Ann Katherine Lucas from the United States has been accused of the fatal shooting of her two young sons, Maurice Baker Jr., aged 6, and Jayden Howard, aged 9. The tragic incident occurred at their family home in Kentucky, where the boys were found bleeding and close to a gun.
They were rushed to the hospital but unfortunately passed away on November 8. Following this, the judge perceived Ms. Lucas as a threat to others and set her bond at a staggering $2 million. During a court appearance on Tuesday, Bullitt County Sheriff’s detective Richard Beahl provided testimony regarding his interview with Ms. Lucas.
Newsweek reported that Detective Beahl revealed chilling details, including that both boys were shot in the head and that four shots were fired within approximately 30 seconds. In her defense, Ms. Lucas insisted that the shooting was an “accident” and claimed she had been “manipulated.”
Ms. Lucas further elaborated on this supposed manipulation, suggesting she was influenced “through Facebook, the internet, or WiFi” to commit the act, as stated by Detective Beahl.
“I asked Ms Lucas if she meant to hurt her children. She indicated that it was an accident,” Mr Beahl told the court. She was in “such a bad spot,” she told investigators. “I’m so stupid,” she said, adding that she “would never do anything like this unless someone manipulated me”.
However, Maurice Baker Jr.’s stepmother, Michelle Rice, strongly disputed this claim of manipulation. Speaking to Fox affiliate WDRB, Ms. Rice expressed her disbelief that anyone could be manipulated into committing such a horrific act, asserting that such actions stem from an individual’s own will.
Ms. Rice also commented on Ms. Lucas’s demeanor in the courtroom, noting her lack of emotional response as she watched the testimony unfold. “She showed no emotion… She shows no emotion,” Ms. Rice observed.
The circumstances of the shooting came to light when a neighbor called the police after finding the injured boys in a bedroom of their home, with a gun lying on the bed. The neighbor recounted returning home when he saw Ms. Lucas “collapse” in his driveway. Upon approaching her, she informed him that her “kids were dying.” The detective recounted the neighbor’s efforts to enter the home and attempt to “save” the boys.
Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, the boys ultimately succumbed to their injuries, leaving the community and officials to grapple with the aftermath of this tragic and unsettling case.