N.J. Daycare Worker Who Allegedly Drowned Her 2 Kids for 'Religious Purposes' Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity: Reports

• A New Jersey mom has been found not guilty by reason of insanity after killing her two young children, according to reports
• Naomi Elkins, 27, was arrested on June 25, 2024, after being accused of drowning her kids, aged 1 and 3, authorities previously said
• A court heard last week that Elkins has been ordered to spend two lifetimes — each of which equates to 75 years under state law — in a secure psychiatric hospital, per the Asbury Park Press

A New Jersey mother who was accused of drowning her two young children and allegedly said she did it for “religious purposes” has been found not guilty by reason of insanity, according to reports.

On June 25, 2024, police in Lakewood responded to reports suggesting two minor children, aged 1 and 3, were in cardiac arrest. Their mother, Naomi Elkins, 27, was then arrested and charged with two counts of murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon after being accused of killing the toddlers, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said in a previous statement.

On Tuesday, April 1, psychologist Gianni Pirelli testified at Elkins’ trial, stating that the suspect thought that if she “destroyed her children, she would be destroying all the evil in the world,” per local outlet the Asbury Park Press.

The court ruled that although Elkins did kill her children, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity, the outlet and NBC10 Philadelphia reported.

Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan ordered Elkins to spend two lifetimes — each of which equates to 75 years under state law — in a secure psychiatric hospital, according to Asbury Park Press.

Ryan told the court that the suspect had plunged a knife into her younger child’s stomach, before holding her underwater for two to three minutes, “counting to 50 several times,” the outlet stated.

After her other daughter ran away to hide, Elkins “climbed on top of her and held her down while the bathtub filled up” in a second bathroom, the outlet added, citing the judge.

Elkins then called the Hatzolah ambulance service, thinking the child might still be alive despite stopping “fighting,” the publication stated.

“I did something to my kids,” and “They’re drowning,” Elkins said on the call, per the outlet, citing the judge. 

Psychologist Pirelli said he interviewed the suspect for a total of 11 hours over four sessions last year, as well as looking at medical records and evidence from first responders and officials at the Ocean County Jail, per the Asbury Park Press. Pirelli eventually came to the conclusion that Elkins had been “experiencing a psychotic episode when she killed her children and did not understand that her actions were wrong.”

According to NBC10 Philadelphia, Elkins has a history of mental illness, citing her defense attorneys.

Elkins was described as being “emotionless” after the killings, the Asbury Park Press reported citing multiple authorities.

Pirelli testified that the suspect thought either she or her husband, who was out of town on a business trip at the time of the killings, was the Messiah, per the outlet. Elkins had reportedly suffered postpartum psychosis after the births of her two children, and her mental health didn’t stabilize after that, the psychologist added.

“I thought I loved you, God, my creator,” Pirelli said in court while reading out a letter which had been written by the suspect.

“She writes, ‘You are evil. I’m deserving of death and destruction. I don’t know what I was. I loved my children, but I loved you more,’ ” the letter stated, per the outlet.

According to charging documents previously reviewed by PEOPLE, a month before the killings, on May 24, 2024, Elkins had returned with her girls from the Lakewood, N.J., daycare where she worked and, troubled by her thoughts, allegedly “spent the night praying.”

Elkins allegedly “believed that she needed to kill the children for religious purposes,” the documents stated.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said last week that his office couldn’t “dispute Pirelli’s conclusion that Elkins was legally insane” at the time of the killings, the Asbury Park Press reported.

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Defense attorney Mitchell J. Ansell said Elkins’ mental health “will be evaluated periodically by the court,” and until there is a time when she’s “no longer considered a danger to herself or others,” she will “remain committed to a psychiatric institution.”

“The sad truth is, Naomi Elkins has a well-documented history of severe mental illness which has absolutely played a major role in these devastating events,” Ansell said in an emailed statement to PEOPLE in June 2024, adding that the Elkins family was “deeply saddened by the tragic events that have occurred involving Naomi Elkins and her two young children.”

Noting the “seriousness of the charges,” he said at the time, “we also believe that it’s important to recognize the incredible complexities presented by mental health challenges.”

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Ansell law firm did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.

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.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.