Phoenix mom accused of smothering her children to death pleads not guilty
02/05/2020 10:31 am PST
via KFOR:
PHOENIX (KFOR) -- A mother accused of smothering her three children to death in Phoenix last month pleaded not guilty to their murders Tuesday, KNXV reports.
Rachel Henry, 22, admitted to smothering her three young children, starting with 1-year-old Mireya Henry, inside her family's home, according to a probable cause affidavit. The children were allegedly murdered on Jan. 20.
Henry said her oldest child, 3-year-old Zane Henry, tried to step in and get her to stop. She said the boy yelled at her and even hit her in an attempt to help his sister.
Once the 1-year-old was dead, Henry said she chased Zane but was interrupted when another relative arrived at the house. A short time later, she said she took the boy to a back bedroom, straddled him, and placed her hand over his nose and mouth.
"Rachel described singing to the 3-year-old male as he [scratched] her chest and [pinched] her while she placed her hand over his nose/mouth," the affidavit stated.
She says she fed 7-month-old Catalaya Rios a bottle until she fell asleep. That is when she said she "sang her a song as she placed her hand over her face and impeded her breath. Rachel sang to the 7-month-old female until she became unconscious and died," the affidavit claims.
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