Indiana Community in Shock: Three Young Sisters Found Dead at Home – Grief-Stricken Father Shares His Pain
Three Young Indiana Sisters Found Dead at Home – Their Heartbroken Father Speaks Out
Police found the remains of three little sisters and their mother in their Wolcottville home in a tragic turn of events. Jonathan Newell, the kids’ father, spoke up about the tragic event, but the police are still looking into it.
Concerns regarding the residents prompted Wolcottville Police Department officers to send officers for a welfare check to a house on South Main Street on September 17.
Officers arrived at around 11:20 a.m. and discovered a disturbing find. Inside the house, they discovered the dead bodies of a woman and three small children.
The Indiana State Police was contacted right away by the authorities to assume control of the investigation. According to the Noble County Coroner, the residents were Rebecca Hughes, 32, and her three daughters, Amelia Newell, 5, Evalynn Newell, 8, and Allison Newell, 6.
Toxicology reports and autopsies were performed to ascertain the cause of death; as of the most recent update, the results are still waiting.
Although the investigation’s specifics are still being worked out, police have stated that there is no immediate threat to the public.
The facts leading to the terrible deaths have not yet been released by the authorities, leaving the community startled and heartbroken. Jonathan Newell, the girls’ father, revealed his thoughts on the tragic event in the interim.
Jonathan talked about the period of time before he found out about the awful deaths of his kids in an interview. “I had ready myself to believe that she [Rebecca] had run with the kids,” he remarked. She failed to appear. She had taken several other actions that seemed to suggest that she would not support it. (sic)”
Jonathan disclosed that in order to spend more time with his daughters, he had asked for one-hour visits twice a month. He worked a tough schedule, three shifts a day, and he dutifully attended court appearances.
After a demanding workday, Jonathan was worn out on the day of the devastating discovery. After his third shift, he had just fallen asleep when he was startled awake by his mother’s desperate call.
Jonathan attempted to comfort her despite her obvious sorrow, telling her not to worry because the kids and she were both okay.
Jonathan didn’t know something was really wrong until he saw a flurry of alarming posts on Facebook.
Jonathan was so concerned that he called the police right away to get information, but they wouldn’t provide it to him. At that point, he made the decision—disregarding the repercussions—to go to Rebecca’s house in order to learn the truth.
Jonathan was going to walk out when he opened his front door and saw two police officers waiting for him. He discovered the tragic truth of what had transpired to his cherished girls at that precise moment.
Jonathan didn’t hold back when asked about his emotions following the incident, revealing his true thoughts of loss.
“You get angry sometimes. You feel depressed occasionally. “There are moments when you’re so detached from reality that it’s as if you’re not even there,” he admitted in an interview.
It frequently felt like the kids were at their mother’s house and he could see them by simply driving down the road, according to Jonathan, who detailed the bizarre moments when reality seemed to fade away.
Then, though, the hard reality would set in. His daughters had passed away.
The grieving father battled emotions of guilt for his personal loss even as he expressed deep sorrow for his kids. He considered it selfish to be depressed when missing his children because it was a “me emotion.”
“The guilt is what I get most of,” he continued. “I feel like there’s a lot that can be blamed on me.”
He couldn’t help but wonder if he had chosen differently, whether things could have turned out differently. Various scenarios ran through his head, making him believe that if he hadn’t been exhausted and grumpy after getting back from work, everything would have turned out differently. Now the never-ending “what-ifs” plagued him.
Rebecca Hughes and her three young girls passed away tragically, and the close-knit town of Wolcottville is still in shock.
Residents have spontaneously formed an impromptu monument outside the family’s house, placing plush animals, flowers, and poignant inscriptions to memorialize the lives lost in a moving show of grief and support.
Speaking about the girls, Pam Laughlin, a member who went to the same church as Rebecca and her kids, found it difficult to control her feelings.
She broke off midsentence, saying, “I threw up my breakfast because my heart hurt for these kids.”
“I wish it could’ve been me instead of the girls,” she said.
Refusing to cry, Laughlin recalled the three sisters as incredibly compassionate kids, a remark that was shared by many who were acquainted with them.
Greg Williams, another neighbor, expressed his shock at the unexpected loss. He remembered seeing Rebecca tending the grass the Friday before she passed away. He didn’t know what was going to happen a few days later, so he merely gave her a quick glance and moved on.
“The entire family is gone the next thing you know,” he recalled, appearing visibly distressed.
Williams expressed the hope that this tragedy would strengthen the bonds among their close-knit community and increase understanding of one another’s hardships.
He continued, “I just feel bad for the kids’ dad,” realizing how much suffering Jonathan Newell must be going through.
The community has come together remarkably for Jonathan in the wake of this devastating tragedy. The response was amazing when he created a GoFundMe campaign to give his girls the proper funeral.
Jonathan stated, “This is really the last thing I get to do for them,” in reference to the internet fundraising.
Within 12 hours of the page’s creation, donations had surpassed the original goal of $30,000. As of the most recent update, contributions have over $45,000, and individuals are still willing to help.
Jonathan broke down in tears at the compassion that was shown. He seems moved by the outpouring of support from the public, saying, “People who didn’t even know me or my kids started just giving money and sending messages.”
Jonathan wrote a sincere letter to everyone who donated, eager to thank everyone for their generosity:
It’s much more than I could have asked for, so thank you everybody. I’m here to help if you ever need it, everyone. Thank you everyone individually, I would like. I had a lot of work to do for the girls today. If I haven’t reached you yet, just don’t take it personally. (sic)”
Rebecca’s friend Ashley McAtee used Facebook to remind the public of Rebecca’s humanity and struggles amid the outpouring of grief for the children.
In a moving post, Ashley said, “Since I’ve not seen one post with Rebecca Hughes picture or anyone showing any respect for her being gone as well as her 3 daughters, I’m gonna post a couple I have found.”
Ashley urged people not to draw hasty conclusions, stressing the complexity of the situation. “It’s a tragic situation, and no one knows exactly why or what was going on in detail,” she stated.
She portrayed Rebecca as a devoted mother who might have been going through personal difficulties and needed more help. “Rebecca did love her kids, and unfortunately I don’t think anyone was there for her as she was going thru something, mentally and emotionally [sic].”
Ashley recalled Rebecca as “quiet and shy” with strangers but “so funny and bubbly” around friends. She wished her friend was now at peace and mentioned that Rebecca and the girls were cherished.
Jonathan Newell has made the decision to utilize this tragic event as a springboard to promote mental health awareness, especially for moms and kids. He sees it as a means of paying tribute to his girls’ memories and possibly averting such tragedies in the future.
During his interview, Jonathan advised people to get help if they felt that they were having any difficulties. “You can give me a call. I’ll respond. We’ll discuss it.
Jonathan said in a different interview, “If you’re a parent with children and you need help, get it. as you never know when it will be your final opportunity.”
The police officers are still investigating while the community continues to support Jonathan and deals with the tragedy. The cause of the deaths has not yet been disclosed by the authorities.
