Maine Man’s Ex Kills Her 2 Children, Then Herself in Florida

A woman in Florida killed her two children and then herself when ordered to let her ex-husband take their son back to Maine.

How Old Were the Children?

Brandy Hutchins had two children, a 19-year-old daughter, and a 10-year-old son, that were fathered by different men. She had been involved in a custody dispute with the boy's father, who is a resident of Maine when the murder-suicide happened.

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What Happened in the Custody Hearing?

According to Grady Judd, Sheriff of Polk County, Florida, the boy's father had traveled from Maine to Florida to make a court appearance with Hutchins. During that hearing, the judge determined that Hutchins had not 'appropriately turned over custody' of the 10-year-old to his father. She was ordered to turn over custody by 6:00 Friday evening, but Hutchins never showed. Sheriff Judd said there was no indication, at this point, that there was any threat of violence.

Judd said his deputies worked through the weekend, trying to locate Hutchins and the boy, so the child could be turned over to his father and returned to Maine. Friends posted on social media while deputies were searching and pinging cellphones, trying to find the missing child.

Where Were the Children Found?

Just after noon on Friday, the Sheriff's Department learned that Hutchins and her two children were in a mobile home in the Waverly area of Lake Wales, Florida. When they went to the location and entered the residence, the deputies found that Hutchins had murdered her 19-year-old daughter and her 10-year-old son and then fatally shot herself.

Deputies say Hutchins does not have a criminal history. The name of the boy's father was not released. This incident remains under investigation.

We'll update this story as more details become available.