A North Dakota mother allegedly told her children's father to "say goodbye" to his kids before police say she slit the throats of two of them, killing a toddler and an infant, while a third child survived only after undergoing emergency surgery.
Background
Kailey Erhart, 22, had recently spent time in a mental health facility and was on medication at the time of the attack, according to law enforcement. Investigators noted that Erhart and the children's father were in the process of separating or divorcing when the violence erupted Thursday evening at a residence on South Frontier Trail in Mandan — approximately 5 miles northwest of Bismarck.
The father had previously expressed concerns to authorities about Erhart allegedly expressing suicidal thoughts and a desire to kill their children, according to charging documents. Those prior threats were known to North Dakota's child welfare agency before the incident occurred.
According to an affidavit obtained by Fargo-based NBC affiliate KVLY, Erhart first brandished a gun at the father and threatened to kill him before the attack on the children unfolded. The father was able to wrestle the pistol away from her, disassemble it, and scatter the pieces throughout the residence.
"Say goodbye to your kids."
In one video obtained by police from the father's cellphone, Erhart is allegedly seen holding one of the children with a pistol at her hip before making that chilling statement. The father then called 911.
The Investigation
Officers responded to reports of a mother who had stabbed her own children and found Erhart inside the home with a kitchen knife pressed against her own throat, covered in blood, police said. She allegedly dropped the weapon when officers arrived and told them to kill her before being taken into custody.
"A scene like that is something that nobody should ever have to see in their lifetime," Mandan Police Chief Jason Ziegler said during a news conference.
Officers followed a trail of blood through the residence to a bedroom where three young children lay motionless on a bed, all suffering from cutting, slashing, or stabbing injuries to their necks. A 3-year-old and a 5-month-old died in the attack while a 1-year-old survived after undergoing surgery.
After being read her Miranda rights, Erhart allegedly told investigators she placed the children on the bed after their throats were cut. She said she remembered holding the knife when police arrived but that her memory of the entire night was unclear, according to the affidavit.
The Charges
Erhart faces two counts of murder, three counts of aggravated assault, and one count each of attempted murder, terrorizing, domestic violence resulting in bodily injury, and child abuse, the Mandan Police Department said. She is being held in the Burleigh Morton Detention Center on $3 million bond.
Law enforcement has not identified the child victims by name or offered a motive for the violence as of this writing.
Key Takeaways
- Erhart allegedly brandished a gun at the children's father and threatened him before switching to a knife and attacking her three children.
- The couple was in the process of separating or divorcing when the attack occurred.
- Prior threats expressing suicidal and homicidal ideation were reported to authorities and known to child welfare officials before the incident.
- Erhart had recently been released from a mental health facility and was on medication at the time of the attack.
- Police found three children with neck injuries; two died, while a third survived after surgery.
What's Next
Erhart remains in custody pending prosecution. Investigators have not disclosed whether any additional court dates have been scheduled or if further details about the alleged motive will be released.