A woman in Canada will spend her life in prison for the deaths of her two young sons.
Vanessa Collias, 27, admitted to killing her 4-year-old son, Dimitri, and her 5-year-old son, Yiannis. She pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in a Toronto court. The judge said she must serve at least 18 years before she can ask for parole.
In court, Collias said she was sorry for the pain she caused. She said she wondered why she didn’t ask for help. She added that she felt broken and that life had crushed her dreams. She told her sons she loved them more than anything and thanked them for showing her what true love is.
Police say that on December 10, 2023, Collias was found hurt outside her apartment building after falling from the balcony. When they went inside her home, they found her two children with no signs of life. The children were taken to a hospital but could not be saved.
Originally, Collias was charged with first-degree murder. But after a doctor examined her, the charge was changed. The doctor said that Collias was suffering from a mental issue after her husband died of leukemia.
The doctor told the court that Collias was “broken” and “alone” after her husband’s death. She said that Collias wanted her family to be together again. Even though she had this mental issue, she was still responsible for her sons’ deaths.
The court heard that Collias had tried to kill herself. She was left unable to move her legs. She left notes for the police and laid out her sons’ clothes for their funeral next to a photo of their father. A cross was placed beside their bodies.
Collias said she had been taking care of her husband all the time before he died. She said she was tired and trying to be okay. On December 10, she said she “hit a wall and couldn’t push no more.”
