Kailey Erhart, 22, has been charged with murder after allegedly slitting the throats of her two young daughters and stabbing her one-year-old son in a frenzied attack at their Mandan, North Dakota home, having reportedly sent their father a chilling video warning him to “say goodbye to your kids” shortly before the assault.
A North Dakota mother has been charged with murder after allegedly slitting her three children’s throats in a frenzied attack at the family’s home in Mandan on Thursday evening. Kailey Erhart, 22, is accused of killing her daughters Morgan, three, and Ava, five months, and stabbing her one-year-old son, Colton, who survived the attack after undergoing extensive surgery, according to an affidavit obtained by KVLY. Police say Erhart carried out the assault after threatening her estranged husband, Cameron, with a gun and chasing him and the children’s grandmother from the house with a knife.
What allegedly happened
According to the affidavit, Erhart first waved a firearm at her estranged husband before pursuing him and the children’s grandmother out of the property while armed with a knife. Shortly before the attack, court documents allege Erhart sent Cameron a video warning him to “say goodbye to your kids.” The footage is said to show her carrying one of the children with a pistol on her hip.
When officers responded to the property, they reportedly found Erhart covered in blood and holding a kitchen knife to her own throat. Police said they followed a trail of blood to a nearby bedroom, where they found the three children lying on the floor, unresponsive and with wounds to their necks, according to the affidavit. Erhart was arrested at the scene.
It is important to note that the details set out in the affidavit represent allegations made by prosecutors and have not yet been tested in court. Erhart has not yet entered a plea to any of the charges against her.
Colton’s condition
The surviving child, one-year-old Colton, underwent emergency surgery following the alleged attack and remained in hospital with serious injuries, according to police.
The charges
Erhart faces nine charges in total, including two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and multiple counts of aggravated assault and terrorizing. Should she be convicted of murder, North Dakota law allows for a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, as the state does not have the death penalty.
Community and investigative response
Authorities have described the incident as one of the most tragic child homicide investigations the local community has faced in recent years. Cases involving the homicide of multiple children within a single family remain extremely rare in the United States, and such incidents often prompt extensive investigations into family circumstances, mental health history, and any prior contact with social services or law enforcement.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing, with detectives continuing to review digital evidence, witness statements and forensic material collected from the scene.
