Janette MacAusland waived extradition in Vermont and is expected to face two murder charges in Massachusetts.
WELLESLEY, Mass. — A Wellesley acupuncturist accused of killing her two young children during a divorce and custody dispute waived extradition Monday in Vermont and is expected to return to Massachusetts to face two murder charges, authorities and court records show.
Janette R. MacAusland, 49, is charged in the deaths of her children, Kai MacAusland, 7, and Ella MacAusland, 6, who were found dead Friday night inside the family’s home on Edgemoor Avenue. The case has moved quickly across two states, from a welfare call in Bennington, Vermont, to a murder warrant issued in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. The next step is MacAusland’s return to Massachusetts for arraignment.
The investigation began late Friday after MacAusland arrived at a relative’s home in Bennington with a visible neck wound and blood on her, police said. Officers were called at about 9:15 p.m. after the woman appeared highly distraught. Police identified her as MacAusland and tried to speak with her. During that exchange, Bennington officers became worried about the welfare of her children in Massachusetts and asked Wellesley police to check the family home. At about 9:50 p.m., Wellesley police told Bennington police that two children had been found dead inside the residence. The home is in a quiet residential area of Wellesley, an affluent Boston suburb about 15 miles west of the city.
Court documents described a more detailed account of what police say happened before the children were found. MacAusland’s aunt told police that MacAusland had knocked on a window to get her attention and that she had a large cut on her throat. The aunt said MacAusland told her she had killed the children and had tried to kill herself. When officers later asked about the children, MacAusland handed them a holiday photo of the family, according to the documents. Police said she then told officers, “I strangled them and then I tried to kill myself.” Investigators have not publicly released final autopsy findings, and authorities have not said when they believe the children died. The children were found in a bed, according to court documents described by investigators.
Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office obtained an arrest warrant Saturday charging MacAusland with two counts of murder. Bennington police arrested her as a fugitive from justice, and she was held in Vermont while officials from both states worked on her transfer. Police said the Bennington Rescue Squad, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and United Counseling Service assisted after officers made contact with MacAusland. The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said Massachusetts State Police, Wellesley police and Vermont State Police were working together to have MacAusland brought back to Massachusetts. Prosecutors have not publicly described a full timeline of the children’s final hours or released a motive. The charges remain allegations, and MacAusland has not been convicted.
The deaths came during an ongoing divorce case between Janette MacAusland and her husband, Samuel MacAusland. Probate court records show Samuel MacAusland filed for divorce in October 2025 after about nine years of marriage and sought custody of the children and the family home. Janette MacAusland later filed a counterclaim also seeking custody and the home. On April 16, the parents filed a joint motion agreeing to have a neutral third party investigate and make recommendations about custody. A guardian ad litem was appointed April 21, four days before the children were found dead. The next family court date had been expected in early May. Court records did not show any final custody ruling before the killings. Reports said Samuel MacAusland was away when the children were found.
MacAusland appeared Monday by video in a Vermont courtroom on the fugitive charge and waived her right to fight extradition. Defense lawyer Jeff Rubin told the court that MacAusland wanted to return to Massachusetts as soon as possible to address the charges. A judge ordered that she remain held without bail. She is expected to be arraigned in Massachusetts within the next two weeks, according to reports from the court proceeding. Once she is returned, prosecutors in Norfolk County are expected to present the murder charges in court, and a Massachusetts judge will set the next hearings. It was not immediately clear Tuesday whether MacAusland had a Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer assigned for the murder case.
Kai and Ella were students at Schofield Elementary School in Wellesley. School officials said the children were in second grade and kindergarten, and counselors were placed at the school after the deaths. Superintendent David Lussier called the deaths “an unimaginable loss” that would be felt across the Schofield community and the wider district. In a later statement, Lussier said Kai and Ella were “shining lights” with close ties to children and adults beyond the school. The district added counseling support in Schofield classrooms and at Hardy Elementary School, where Kai had also been a student. The school system also held sessions for staff, families and student services workers as students returned after the weekend.
Outside the Edgemoor Avenue home, flowers, stuffed animals and handwritten notes lined the sidewalk as neighbors and family acquaintances tried to describe the children beyond the allegations in court. Cale Darrah, who grew up on the street and once babysat the children, said people should remember them as “full little humans with interests and personalities.” Darrah described Ella as outgoing and emotionally mature and said Kai was more reserved at first but loved reading. Both children liked playing outside, including on a trampoline their parents had bought, she said. Neighbors told local reporters they often saw the children playing in the driveway. Investigators were seen at the home Saturday carrying evidence bags as crime scene tape remained outside.
By Tuesday, MacAusland remained in custody after waiving extradition. Authorities in Massachusetts had not announced an arraignment date, and the next major step in the case is her transfer from Vermont to face the two murder charges in Norfolk County.
Author note: Last updated April 28, 2026.