A mother has been found guilty of murdering her two sons, aged five and two, in their east London home, leaving their bodies in their bunk beds for their father to find.
Kara Alexander, 47, either smothered or drowned Marley, five, and Elijah, two, in December 2022.
Their bodies were discovered by their father, Selvin Thomas, who had split with their mother three months earlier, in their shared bunk bed at their home in Dagenham.
Alexander claimed her sons had drowned in the bath while she was asleep, but she was today found guilty of their murders at Kingston Crown Court.
Mr Thomas was due to have his sons that weekend and became increasingly concerned when he did not hear back from Alexander, the court heard.
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When he arrived at their home, Alexander told him the children were upstairs sleeping and slammed the door in his face.
Mr Thomas demanded she open the door and when she did he found “a bunch of toys behind it as if barricading the door”, said prosecutor Philip Evans, KC.
He then ran to his sons’ bedroom and found their bodies lying side-by-side on their lower bunk bed.
“They were bunched up together and it looked like they were asleep,” said Mr Evans.
“They had the duvet up to their shoulders, only their faces were visible. He touched Marley’s face, on his right cheek, and he was freezing cold and hard. He knew immediately that they were dead and thought they had been dead for some time.”
By the time the horrified father ran downstairs, Alexander had fled. She was arrested about an hour later and later claimed she had left the boys in the bath alone while she smoked cannabis.
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Scotland Yard said Alexander will be sentenced on April 11.
Samantha Yelland, a senior Crown prosecutor in the CPS London Homicide Unit, said: “Our thoughts remain with Elijah and Marley’s family and friends who have been completely devastated by their loss.
“It is unimaginable to think what those poor children went through in their final moments.
“It is a parent’s job to keep their children safe and Kara Alexander not only failed to do that, but robbed them of their lives.
“I hope today’s verdict will provide the family with some closure knowing now that Alexander has been held accountable for their murders.”
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Waller, who led the investigation, said: “Our thoughts are with the family, especially the boys’ father who found them dead when he went to collect them for the weekend after Kara Alexander had failed to return his messages.
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“No parent should have to go through such a horrific experience, and then have to listen to the detailed evidence highlighting what led up to these events.
“I would also like to praise those who were first on scene – our colleagues and the paramedics – who also experienced this traumatic event first-hand.
“This has been a difficult investigation for everyone involved. This guilty verdict cannot turn back the clock but it does provide the children’s family with some form of resolution.”
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