Mom Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity for Drowning Toddler Daughters in New Jersey

Tragic Drowning of Toddler Daughters

• 💔 Two young girls, aged one and three, tragically died in June 2024 after being drowned by their mother, Naomi Elkins, in separate bathtubs at their New Jersey home.
• 📞 Authorities were alerted when Elkins called a volunteer group, stating, "I did something to my kids. They're drowning."
• 🚑 Responding EMTs performed CPR, but both children were pronounced dead at the scene.

Mother's Mental State and Confession

• 🧠 A psychologist testified that Elkins was experiencing a psychotic episode and was "out of her mind" when she killed her children.
• 💡 Elkins reportedly believed she was destroying "all the evil in the world" by harming her children.
• 📜 In a letter to God, Elkins expressed remorse, stating, "I loved my children, but I loved you more."
• 🗣️ Detectives described Elkins as cooperative but emotionless and dazed following her arrest.

Legal Proceedings and Verdict

• ⚖️ Ocean County prosecutors charged Elkins with murder and weapon offenses.
• 🧑‍⚖️ During the trial, both the prosecution and defense agreed that Elkins was legally insane at the time of the killings.
• ✅ Judge Guy P. Ryan found Naomi Elkins not guilty by reason of insanity for the deaths of her daughters.

Sentencing and Future Care

• 🏥 Elkins was ordered to be committed to a psychiatric hospital for two lifetimes, with each life term being 75 years under New Jersey law.
• 🩺 She will be routinely evaluated and could be released if deemed no longer a threat to herself or others.
• 💬 Elkins's defense attorney highlighted her documented history of severe mental illness, calling the case a spotlight on the mental illness epidemic.
• 🙏 The Elkins family hopes the verdict initiates a healing process and serves as a reminder of the importance of mental health.