Five-year-old twins were found unresponsive on their bed after their mother’s death triggered a home wellness check. Authorities believe it was a double murder-suicide. The mother jumped off a bridge, falling to her death, while the cause of death of her kids remains unknown.On October 20, 2023, Seminole County officials reported to calls about a woman jumping off a bridge. The woman, identified as 31-year-old Catorreia Hutto, was spotted pulling over her car and getting out of the passenger-side window.
She jumped into Lake Jesup and was recovered by nearby fishermen, including one local firefighter, dead on the scene. After the fatal jump, authorities did a well-being check at her home on Alexander Avenue, Sanford, only to find a disturbing site.
Twins Discovered Unresponsive on Their Bunk Beds
Upon their arrival at the family home, authorities found Hutto’s five-year-old twins on their bunk beds. Although they appeared to be sleeping, they were already gone. Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said:
“It looked like two innocent 5-year-old children sleeping. If they did not check the vital signs, they would not know they were deceased.
Upon examining the twins, there were no signs of struggle, blood, or blunt-force trauma, leaving the cause of death unknown. Although a gun with live rounds was found in the home, there were no fired cartridges.
So sad. The 5-year-old twins were found dead at their home – https://t.co/CxDJ46JvGn pic.twitter.com/9QsBlcvjSR
— FOX19 NOW (@FOX19) October 23, 2023
An autopsy has been performed but did not show a cause of death. Meanwhile, the toxicology report can take months to produce. Their father, who lives in another area in Florida, has been notified of the tragedy. He has set up a GoFundMe page to cover the funeral expenses of his kids, whom he called the “sweetest kids.”
Hutto’s Living Situation Before Death
Hutto and her kids with special needs live in a home built by non-profit group Habitat for Humanity, an organization that gives less fortunate people houses.
Hutto’s children last attended classes on October 13, 2023, while she reported to her job as a temp a few days before her death.
They have lived there for over a year and, according to Lemma, only have a little food or furniture. He presumed “the family might have been struggling financially.”
Still, no one could confirm that Hutto was already in a terrible state. However, the kids’ grandmother claimed Hutto was struggling and dealt with depression for years.
Investigators believe it’s a “murder-suicide situation,” Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said Friday.https://t.co/gqnJ7erW2l
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 21, 2023
There were also no reports about the family with the Florida Department of Children and Families. Hutto had no criminal history or records of neglect, making the case much more difficult to solve. Lemma added:
“We’ve seen some violent, aggressive acts in the past that are probably initiated by hate and pain and all that. That’s not what we saw here at this scene.”
Hutto’s children last attended classes on October 13, 2023, while she reported to her job as a temp a few days before her death.
Hutto’s Community Is Saddened by the News
Unlocking Children’s Potential Charter Schools released a statement about the passing of the Seminole County school’s kindergarten students, claiming they were saddened and shocked by the news.
Hutto’s neighbor, Latoshia Reynolds, also spoke about the situation and wondered if the mom-of-two felt alone. As a mother, she feels for Hutto and believes the departed may have had no one to talk to. She added that mental health was not prioritized in the community.As it turned out, Hutto tried reaching her mother via call. While the mother lived in Perry, Florida, she was in Orlando for a medical procedure. Unfortunately, she missed the call and did not think much about it, assuming it was one of her grandkids playing with the phone.
Lemma urged people who had internal struggles to seek the necessary help and guidance they needed, be it through a suicide hotline or organization.
A similar story happened a little over a year ago when Marcus Edward Milligan and Tara Devine Ricker Milligan lost their baby boy, Conor, to cancer in 2022. Their entire family, including their three other kids, were devastated by the loss.
However, on October 4, 2022, police received a call from an unidentified man, reporting the death of a woman and three children. The authorities later discovered the entire Milligan family dead in what was an apparent murder-suicide by Marcus.