Authorities recently confirmed a tragic case of murder-suicide in Indiana, where a mother took the lives of her three children before ending her own. The heartbreaking incident occurred late last summer, leaving a small community in shock and mourning.
On September 17, 2024, the Wolcottville Police Department received a request for a welfare check at a residence on South Main Street. Wolcottville, a quiet town located about 40 miles north of Fort Wayne, was unprepared for the devastating scene that officers would soon discover.
Upon entering the home, police found four lifeless bodies—the mother and her three children. The grim discovery has left neighbors and authorities searching for answers, as investigations continue into what led to this unthinkable tragedy.
A recent report from the Noble County Coroner has confirmed that 32-year-old Rebecca Hughes died by suicide after taking the lives of her three young daughters in a devastating act of violence. The report, obtained earlier this month by Fort Wayne-based CBS affiliate WANE, along with ABC, NBC, and MyNetworkTV affiliate WPTA, sheds light on the tragic events that unfolded.
On that fateful day, Hughes murdered her three daughters—8-year-old Evelyn Newell, 6-year-old Allison Newell, and 5-year-old Amelia Newell—before ending her own life. According to the coroner’s office, all four victims succumbed to inert gas asphyxiation, a method that deprives the body of oxygen.
As of now, authorities have not released any further details regarding the circumstances leading up to the killings. However, the children’s father had long feared the worst, suspecting early on that his daughters had fallen victim to a horrific act of homicide. The confirmation of his suspicions has only deepened the sorrow surrounding this heartbreaking case, leaving the community in mourning and searching for answers.
Jonathan Newell, the grieving father of the three young girls tragically killed by their mother, struggled to find answers in the wake of their deaths. Speaking through tears in an interview with WPTA last year, he expressed the overwhelming pain and confusion that has haunted him since the tragedy.
“What got me the most was, ‘Why?’” Newell said, his voice heavy with emotion. “You ask yourself why this happened. Was it because of the visitations? Did my kids die because I wanted to see them? Did one hour, twice a month—supervised visits—cost my children their lives? It’s a dumb reason. It’s not an OK reason.”
His anguish was compounded by the thought that the legal visitation arrangement, which allowed him only brief and monitored time with his daughters, could have played a role in their deaths.
Despite his grief, Newell expressed hope that his daughters’ memory would serve a greater purpose by raising awareness about the importance of mental health care and support. He stressed the urgent need for better access to mental health treatment, particularly for parents and children in vulnerable situations.
“We need better access to it,” he said. “And there need to be more resources for moms and kids.”
During the interview, Newell also revealed that, in some ways, he had been mentally preparing himself for a heartbreaking outcome. He suspected his ex-partner might act unpredictably, though he never imagined it would lead to such a horrific tragedy.
“I had prepared myself, I think, that she had run off with the kids,” he admitted. “She didn’t show up. She had done some other things that made it seem like she wasn’t going to, you know, go along with it.”
His words paint a devastating picture of a father who saw warning signs but was powerless to prevent the unimaginable. Now, he carries the unbearable weight of loss, hoping that his daughters’ story will lead to meaningful change.
On the tragic day his daughters lost their lives, Jonathan Newell woke up feeling exhausted after working a grueling third shift. In an interview with WPTA, he recounted the events leading up to the devastating discovery, explaining how the day began with worry but not immediate suspicion of violence.
His first indication that something was wrong came from his own mother, who called him in distress over the absence of the girls. She was inconsolable, but even then, Newell did not immediately fear the worst. However, as the day progressed, unsettling signs began to emerge. He noticed concerning comments on Facebook that heightened his unease, and when he reached out to the police for answers, they refused to share any details over the phone. This lack of information only deepened his growing sense of dread.
Eventually, Newell decided to take matters into his own hands and planned to go directly to the house where his daughters lived, hoping to find out what was going on. But before he could leave, he was met with an ominous sight—two detectives standing at his doorstep. At that moment, he knew his worst fears had become reality.
In the wake of the tragedy, Newell turned to the community for help in giving his daughters a proper burial. Through a GoFundMe campaign, he managed to raise an overwhelming $47,000 in less than a week, a testament to the outpouring of support and sympathy from those who heard his story. However, as contributions continued to flood in, he ultimately asked people to stop donating, feeling that he had received more than enough.
“I don’t ask people for help, but these kids deserve so much more than I can provide for their burials,” he wrote in the fundraiser. Acknowledging the tragic circumstances, he added, “Rebecca, their mom, took them with her when she passed on.”
His words reflected both sorrow and resignation, as he grappled with the heartbreaking reality that his daughters were gone, their futures stolen in an instant.
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