Three young sisters found dead in their home were killed, Indiana officials say
.png "Evelyn Newell, 8, Allison Newell, 6, and Amelia Newell, 5, were found dead in their Indiana home in September. Their deaths were just ruled a homicide.")
Officials in Indiana have released the causes and manners of death for three sisters found dead in their home alongside their mother.
Around 11:20 a.m. Sept. 17, police were called to do a welfare check at a home in Wolcottville, according to a Facebook post from Indiana State Police.
When officers arrived, they found Rebecca Hughes, 32, Evelyn Newell, 8, Allison Newell, 6, and Amelia Newell, 5, dead inside the home.
On Sept. 19, the girls’ father, Jonathan Newell, told WPTA he was searching for answers.
“What got me the most was ‘why?’ You ask yourself why this happened,” Newell told the news outlet. “Was it because of the visitations? Did my kids die because I wanted to see them?”
Now, the Noble County Coroner’s Office has released the causes and manners of their deaths.
All four died from gas asphyxiation, WPTA reported. The manner of death for the siblings was homicide and Hughes’ manner of death was ruled a suicide, according to WBND.
“I want to make their death, their sacrifice, I want it to mean more. I wanna do what I can to spread, take this time, take this interview and spread a light on mental health,” Newell told WPTA in September.
Suicide
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2020, nearly 46,000 people died by suicide, which is one death every 11 minutes.
“An estimated 12.2 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.2 million planned a suicide attempt, and 1.2 million attempted suicide,” the CDC reported.
Suicide impacts people of all ages, and all groups. Some groups, however, experience higher suicide rates than others. Veterans, young people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community and people who live in rural areas all have higher rates of suicide.
“Everyone has a role to play to save lives and create healthy and strong individuals, families and communities,” the CDC says.
If you or someone you know may be in danger of suicidal thoughts, call or text the free suicide and crisis lifeline at 988 to connect with a trained counselor.
Wolcottville is about a 40-mile drive north of Fort Wayne.
This story was originally published February 10, 2025 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Three young sisters found dead in their home were killed, Indiana officials say."
