Ky. Mom Who Claimed Facebook 'Manipulated' Her into Killing Her Young Sons Pleads Guilty

A Kentucky mother who allegedly told authorities she was manipulated by social media into shooting her young children last year has now pleaded guilty to their murders, per reports. 

Maurice Baker Jr., 6, and Jayden Howard, 9, were shot in their Shepherdsville, Ky., home in November 2023, the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office said at the time. They died after being taken to the hospital. 

Authorities arrested their mother, Tiffanie Lucas, and charged her with murder. 

On Wednesday, Oct. 23, nearly a year after the killings, Lucas pleaded guilty to two counts of murder during a court appearance, per WDRB, WHAS 11 and WLKY. 

The investigation began on Nov. 8 when a witness found the two boys with gunshot wounds next to a gun in Lucas’ home, per an arrest report cited by WLKY, WAVE and WDRB.

Detective Richard Beahl, who responded to the scene, saw Lucas collapse on her neighbor’s driveway when he arrived, he said during a court appearance soon after Lucas’ arrest, per WHAS 11 and WDRB. 

A neighbor tending to the children inside reportedly told police Lucas had shot them. 

During the initial stage of the investigation, Lucas allegedly told authorities that she had been “manipulated” by Facebook, the internet and wireless connections to kill her children, WDRB reported at the time, citing court testimony.

She allegedly “made statements that she was being manipulated through Facebook, through the internet or through Wi-Fi…into doing what she did,” Beahl said in court.

She also allegedly claimed it was “an accident,” Beahl said. 

Lucas’ guilty plea comes just a month after a motion was filed in Bullitt Circuit Court that stated her lawyer was considering an insanity plea.

The motion, obtained by PEOPLE, said the defense had plans to present “expert evidence relating to a mental disease, mental defect, or other mental condition” at trial.

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It’s unclear what led the defense to change course, but family members of the children say they want to see the maximum sentence possible for her.

“She should have to stay in prison,” Maurice’s aunt Bobbie Baker told reporters outside the courthouse on Wednesday, per WDRB. “Give them some form of justice. They didn’t deserve this. They’re kids.”

Lucas has entered an open plea, which means the judge will decide her sentence, WLKY, WDRB and WHAS 11 reported.

The charges she pleaded guilty to warrant 20-50 years each, or a life sentence, Judge Rodney Burress said, according to WDRB.

Lucas is scheduled to be sentenced next month, per WLKY, WDRB and WHAS 11.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.