Mom smothers twin 2-year-old daughters to death in car seats, New York officials say

A mom accused of smothering her twin 2-year-old daughters to death has pleaded guilty, New York officials said.

In June 2019, Tenia Campbell’s mom called 911 saying her 28-year-old daughter was “driving around in the family van and was threatening to kill her daughters,” according to a Dec. 13 news release by the Suffolk County District Attorney.

“This is such a sad and tragic case. Those two little girls looked to this defendant, their mother, for protection and love. Instead, she executed them,” District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said in the release. “The defendant has one thing those twin girls will never have again: life. But now, this defendant will get to live out the majority of her life behind bars.”

Officers were dispatched to the areas between Medford and Montauk looking for Campbell, officials said.

An East Hampton police officer saw the van and Campbell outside it, the district attorney said.

When the officer went to the van, the twins were found “dead in their car seats,” officials said. Campbell later said she smothered them, officials said.

Campbell pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, officials said.

McClatchy News reached out to Campbell’s attorney on Dec. 14 and is awaiting a response.

She is scheduled to go back to court in January for a sentencing conference, the release said.

Suffolk County is about 80 miles east of New York City.

This story was originally published December 14, 2023 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Mom smothers twin 2-year-old daughters to death in car seats, New York officials say."