A Missouri woman who walked into a police station last week to admit she had killed her two children allegedly told officers she tried to “sacrifice” her two-year-old son Isaac before the murders.
In her horrific account to the Festus Police Department, Ashley Parmeley, 36, said she shot her nine-year-old daughter Scarlet.
But new court documents reveal the evil mother first attempted to “sacrifice” her son in St. Francois County before shooting her daughter.
After fatally shooting Scarlet, Parmeley drove north with both children in the car, only to realize that his earlier attempt to end Isaac’s life was unsuccessful, according to court records obtained by Fox 8 New Orleans.
That’s when investigators say he drowned his son at the Timber Creek Resort, which is outside St. Louis, 13 miles from the police station he eventually drove to.
When she arrived at the Festus police station, Ashley Parmeley’s clothes were described as “wet” and “disheveled.” She told police she tried to ‘sacrifice’ her son before killing her daughter, court documents reveal.
Parmeley now faces a possible death sentence after killing her daughter Scarlet, as well as her son Isaac, as shown here.
The young man was found in a water feature pool and was pronounced dead by emergency personnel, documents state.
Given these new aggravating factors, the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday that her son’s murder charge, initially in the second degree, has been upgraded to first-degree murder.
Earlier Wednesday, the St. Francois County prosecutor also charged Parmeley with first-degree murder in the death of his daughter.
Fresh concerns over Parmeley’s mental health also emerged last week, as it was revealed that in the hours before the double murder of her own children, she changed her Facebook profile picture to a black screen.
The St. Louis outlet also reported that four years ago, before her son was born, Parmeley posted about “struggling with depression.”
‘I isolated myself. “I came across as very shy and unfriendly and really needed a friend more than anything,” Parmeley wrote on Facebook. “I always wondered if the kids would be happier or better off without me being their primary caregiver because I knew they deserved a role model.” to continue much better”.
Law enforcement officials are investigating a vehicle that was allegedly driven Tuesday to Festus City Hall and the police station by Parmeley in his effort to confess to a double murder.
Additionally, family court records showed that Parmeley was in a custody battle with Scarlet’s father. The case began when her daughter was born in 2015 and was resolved in 2021.
Parmeley also gained custody of her 11-year-old niece while the case over who would be Scarlet’s primary guardian unfolded. The niece remained with Parmeley until she turned 18, KMOV reported.
The Parmeley family, not just Ashley, has a history of extreme violence. Parmeley’s uncle was convicted of the 1999 murder of her parents, who were her grandparents, KMOV reported.
Parmeley’s neighbors spoke out and shared their complete disbelief that their children are already dead.
Brandy Trask, who lives near Parmeley’s home in Festus, told Fox 8 that her daughter played with Scarlet. Trask said she saw Scarlet every day and saw no signs that she was unhappy or having problems at home.
“I can’t understand why this would happen to anyone, let alone two sweet children who had nothing but love in their hearts,” Trask said.
Ginny Russell also has a daughter who played with Scarlet in the neighborhood.
“She was just an amazing kid,” Russell said of Scarlet.
Parmeley’s family has a history of violence, local media report. Parmeley’s uncle was convicted of the 1999 murder of his parents, who were his grandparents.
A vigil was held Wednesday night for both children. All games at local minor league fields were canceled except for a softball game in which Scarlet’s team was playing.
At the start of the game, her teammates released balloons in her honor, Fox 8 reported.
Scarlet was going to move on to fourth grade at Festus Elementary School next year.
‘Scarlet’s teachers and administrators say she was a happy, energetic and trustworthy student. They say she was loving and compassionate, eager to please and with a good sense of humor,” she reads in a statement from the school.
“She could make friends with anyone and was looking forward to moving on to fourth grade when school resumed in August.”
Parmeley is being held in the Jefferson County Jail without bond.
Now facing two counts of first-degree murder, Parmeley could be sentenced to death or life in prison with the possibility of parole.
