#5-year-old Florida twins, mom, Catorreia Hutto, die in murder-suicide
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Seminole County officials received multiple calls Friday morning about a woman who had jumped off a bridge into Lake Jesup, approximately 20 miles northeast of Orlando.
Enlisting the help of boaters nearby boaters, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office deputies recovered the body of Catorreia Hutto, 31, from the water. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Twins found dead, it looked like they were sleeping
Upon learning Hutto’s identity, the deputies also learned that she had two 5-year-old twins, who were not in Hutto’s car parked on the bridge or in the water.
The deputies then responded to the family home in Sanford, Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said at a Friday press conference. They entered the home and found the children in their bunkbeds deceased, but showing no signs of trauma.
“It looked like two innocent 5-year-old children sleeping,” Lemma recounted the responding deputies explaining. “If they did not check the vital signs they would not know they were deceased.”
A Seminole County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson confirmed with USA TODAY Monday that an autopsy on the children was completed over the weekend but it did not yield a cause of death. Officials are still waiting for the toxicology report to come back, which could take months.
Hutto had no prior history, leaving many unknowns
Lemma said that the children had special needs, and that Hutto’s mother had struggled with depression in the past. She had no prior criminal history nor allegations of neglect according to Lemma, and the police were still working through many unknowns Friday.
“We’ve seen some violent, aggressive acts in the past that are probably initiated by hate and pain and all that. That’s not what we saw here at this scene,” Lemma said.
Deputies observed a firearm with live rounds, but no empty cartridges, on the floor in the apartment. Lemma described the apartment as being sparsely furnished and having little food, leaving him to suspect they faced financial struggles. Hutto had reported to her temp job a few days before the incident.
A neighbor told WESH 2 that she was sad to hear the news.
“I am absolutely heartbroken. I have empathy. I don’t have to know her. I have a daughter of my own, and what first comes to be is that she may not have had anyone to reach out to,” neighbor Latoshia Reynolds told WESH 2. “But I know that in my community, mental health is not being taken seriously.”
Lemma also reminded people struggling to seek help. “It’s examples like this that should drive all of us forward to get people the help and the services they need,” he said.
If you or someone you know might be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, or chat online at 988lifeline.org.
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