GhLinks Media
A Polk County mother identified as Brandy Hutchins killed her 10-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter and herself in an apparent murder-suicide, according to deputies.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd held a news conference and said that “from every indication in our investigation,” Brandy Hutchins killed her 10-year-old son and 19 year-old daughter before taking her own life.
Police were called mid-day Sunday to a mobile home in Waverly following attempts to locate the boy, according to Judd, and authorities determined Hutchins had killed both her children and taken her own life.
Brandy Hutchins ex husband Hutchins Race and battle of child custody
According to authorities, Brandy Hutchins killed her 19-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son following a custody dispute with the boy’s father, who lives in Maine.
Judd said Hutchins’ ex-husband, Hutchins Race came to Florida from Maine on Thursday to appear in court with Hutchins because she did not “appropriately turn over custody” of their 10-year-old son.
Grady Judd said a judge had ordered Hutchins to turn over her 10-year-old son to a PCSO district station by 6 p.m. Friday, but she never did.
Deputies say they worked through the weekend to locate the 10-year-old boy.
At around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, deputies were called to a mobile home in Lake Wales, where they found Hutchins and her two children dead from an apparent murder-suicide.
“I can’t imagine a more horrific set of circumstances,” Sheriff Judd said. “My heart breaks for all of the family. We are devastated for this 10-year-old child all because mom did not want to turn the child over to the rightful father pursuant to a court order.”
Authorities say that Hutchins had no criminal history and no indications of threats of violence in the court records.
