Erin Pascal murder suicide: A West Roxbury mother is alleged to have pushed her two young children off 9th level Boston’s Renaissance Park Garage before also jumping to her death on Christmas Day.
A mother is alleged to have pushed her two young children off the roof of a Boston parking garage before she jumping to her death in a suspected doubler murder suicide, authorities said Thursday.
Erin Pascal, 40, likely caused her 4-year-old daughter Allison and 16-month-old son Andrew to plunge from the roof of the Renaissance Park Garage before jumping herself, around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said during a press corps meeting.
‘The evidence collected thus far suggests that these deaths… were very likely a double murder-suicide,’ Rollins told reporters.
No suicide note has been found.
Mental health issues cited:
Sources told WBZ-TV that Pascal took off with the kids from their West Roxbury home following a dispute with their father, whom she lived with.
The dad called 911 to say that Pascal appeared suicidal, according to the outlet.
Pascal and her children were found unconscious on the pavement at the base of the nine-level garage, and they were pronounced dead at a hospital.
The scene was ‘awful,’ Rollins said.
‘There were children’s shoes and an adult shoe. Just belongings from the children and the mother strewn upon the street. The impact of the fall was visible from the street,’ the prosecutor said.
‘I want to extend my sincere condolences to this family,’ Rollins said. ‘Yesterday the unspeakable happened and now we are all struggling to make sense of the circumstances surrounding these deaths.’
Investigators are still searching Pascal’s black SUV — which was left parked on the rooftop with three of its doors open — as well as her phone and any surveillance footage.
Police previously said two car seats were found in the vehicle, one forward-facing and one backward-facing.
‘For a parent to come to a place where they harm their children in this way indicates that their mental health struggles were severe and in need of immediate support,’ Rollins said, as she urged anyone in need to seek help.
‘This Christmas Day tragedy demonstrates the urgency of addressing mental health,’ she said.
It remained unclear whether the mother had previously harmed or threatened to harm herself and the children.
Neighbors were left reeling in the aftermath of what happened.
‘It’s one thing to take your own life, but defenseless kids, it’s horrible,’ said Seth Tenenbaum who lives just a few doors down from the family. He remembers seeing the children in the yard.
‘It’s just a horrible story,’ Tenenbaum told via CBS Boston local. ‘I mean the defenseless kids. Anybody who could do that to their own children – it’s terrible’.
The investigation is ongoing.
