A Massachusetts acupuncturist was denied bail Thursday as she faces charges of murdering her two young children. Janette MacAusland, 49, pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder after police allege she strangled her children, Kai and Ella MacAusland, aged seven and six, at their Wellesley home on April 24.
The court appearance on Thursday at Dedham District Court saw MacAusland, dressed in a red jumpsuit, display visible distress, shaking and crying when her children were mentioned. Her attorney, Joseph Krowski Jr., had proposed $25,000 bail, 24/7 GPS monitoring, home confinement, and a probation period. Krowski Jr. argued that MacAusland should not be held without liberty while the exact cause of death is still being determined by the medical examiner, describing the situation as an "intermediate state of limbo."
The defense indicated readiness to proceed with establishing probable cause, but the prosecution requested additional time. The judge granted the Commonwealth an extension of six weeks. MacAusland's lawyer also requested that his client be allowed to waive her presence at a court hearing scheduled for October 29. During this period, MacAusland will remain held without bail.
Following the children's deaths, MacAusland reportedly drove to her aunt's home in Bennington, Vermont, where she was arrested. According to a police report, she confessed to taking her children's lives, stating she wanted the three of them "to go to God together."
Krowski Jr. suggested that the case should not be characterized as a repeat of the Lindsay Clancy case, emphasizing MacAusland's individuality. He also raised questions about the potential criminalization of mental illness in the country and suggested that mental health, legal, and criminal justice institutions had failed MacAusland. He stated his belief that the case's resolution might be better suited for the Dedham Superior Court.
The alleged killings occurred while MacAusland was undergoing a difficult separation from her husband, Sam MacAusland, 62.