MANDAN, North Dakota — Three children were put to bed that Thursday night. Only one woke up.
On the evening of Aug. 6, officers in Mandan responded to a 911 call from a father who said the mother of his children had locked herself inside the home with them — and was going to kill them.
When police arrived at the residence on South Frontier Trail, they found Kailey Erhart, 22, standing with a kitchen knife to her own throat, covered in blood. She dropped the knife and told officers to kill her. Then she was taken into custody.
Officers followed a trail of blood through the house to a bedroom.
All three children — aged 5 months, 1 year, and 3 years — were lying motionless on the bed. Each had suffered cutting or stabbing wounds to the neck.
The Warning Signs Were Already There
Before police arrived, Erhart had allegedly pointed a gun at the children’s father and said, “Say goodbye to your kids.” The father managed to take the weapon away and called 911.
The couple was in the process of separating. The father had previously raised concerns about Erhart expressing a desire to die by suicide and harm the children.
Those concerns had been reported to the state’s child welfare agency. At the time of the attack, Erhart had recently been released from a mental health facility — and was cleared to be with the children.
Two Lives Lost, One Saved
A 3-year-old and a 5-month-old died. A 1-year-old survived after undergoing surgery.
“A scene like that is something that nobody should ever have to see in their lifetime,” said Mandan Police Chief Jason Ziegler.
Erhart, charged with two counts of murder and attempted murder among other charges, is being held on $3 million bond.
What should happen when red flags like these are reported — and ignored? Share your thoughts in the comments.