WELLESLEY — On Friday, April 24, 2026,at approximately 9:30 p.m., Wellesley police received a call from a police department in Vermont requesting a well-being check on family members believed to be inside a residence on Edgemoor Avenue in Wellesley.
According to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office, when officers arrived on scene, they found two children, ages 6 and 7, dead inside the home.
On Sunday, April 26, 2026, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office obtained an arrest warrant for Janette MacAusland, 49, of Wellesley, charging her with two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of her children, 7-year-old Kai and 6-year-old Ella.
Janette is currently being held in Vermont and is expected to appear Monday in Bennington County Superior Court on a fugitive from justice charge. Massachusetts State Police and Wellesley police are working with Vermont State Police to have her returned to Massachusetts to face the murder charges, the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office reported.
According to court records reviewed by The Associated Press, Janette MacAusland and her husband, Samuel MacAusland, were involved in divorce and custody proceedings. In October, Samuel filed for divorce after nine years of marriage and sought custody of the children and the family home. Janette later filed a counterclaim also seeking custody of the children and the home.
The AP also reported that, on April 16, both parties filed a joint motion agreeing to have a neutral third party investigate and make recommendations about custody, and a guardian ad litem was appointed on April 21.
MacAusland is listed by New England Integrated Health as a licensed and nationally board-certified acupuncturist in Massachusetts. Her biography says she also works at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Martinos Center for Bioimaging in acupuncture research.
The children were students in the Wellesley Public Schools. Counselors are expected to be available Monday to provide support and services for students and staff.
