In a heartbreaking turn of events, police discovered the bodies of three young sisters and their mother in their Wolcottville home. The police are still investigating, while the girls’ father, Jonathan Newell, opened up about the devastating incident.
On September 17, Wolcottville Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence on South Main Street for a welfare check after concerns were raised about the occupants.
After being dispatched at approximately 11:20 a.m., officers made a grim discovery. They found the lifeless bodies of a woman and three young children inside the home.
Authorities immediately contacted the Indiana State Police to take over the investigation. The Noble County Coroner identified the residents as 32-year-old Rebecca Hughes and her three daughters, Evalynn Newell, 8, Allison Newell, 6, and Amelia Newell, 5.
Autopsies were conducted to determine the cause of death, but the results, including toxicology reports, remain pending as of the latest update.
Police have indicated that there is no immediate threat to the public, though the investigation details are still unfolding.
While the community is left shocked and heartbroken, the authorities have not yet disclosed the circumstances leading to the tragic deaths. Meanwhile, the girls’ father, Jonathan Newell, opened up about his feelings regarding the devastating incident.
In an interview, Jonathan recalled the time before he learned about his girls’ tragic deaths. He said, “I had prepared myself to think that she [Rebecca] had ran with the kids. She didn’t show up. She’d done some other stuff that would sort of indicate that she wasn’t going to go along with it. [sic]”
Jonathan revealed he had requested visitation for one hour twice a month to spend more time with his daughters. He diligently attended court dates while juggling a demanding work schedule that included three shifts each day.
On the day of the tragic discovery, Jonathan was exhausted from his grueling work routine. He had just fallen asleep after his third shift when his mother’s frantic call jolted him awake.
Despite her obvious distress, Jonathan tried to reassure her, saying, “Don’t worry, she’s fine, the kids are fine.”
It wasn’t until he noticed a flurry of concerning posts on Facebook that Jonathan realized something was seriously wrong.
Worried, Jonathan immediately called the police for answers, but they refused to disclose any details over the phone. That’s when he decided to visit Rebecca’s house to find out the truth, unbothered about the consequences.
As he was about to leave, Jonathan opened his front door to find two police officers standing there. It was at that moment he learned the heartbreaking reality of what had happened to his beloved daughters.
When asked about his feelings regarding the incident, Jonathan didn’t hesitate to share the raw moments of his grief.
“Sometimes you’re mad. Sometimes you’re sad. Other times you’re so dissociated you don’t even feel like you’re there,” he confessed during an interview.
Jonathan described the surreal moments when reality seemed to slip away, saying it often felt like the kids were at their mom’s place and he could see them by just driving there down the road.
But then the harsh truth would hit him. His daughters were no longer alive.
While expressing profound sadness for his children, the heartbroken father grappled with feelings of guilt for his own grief. He thought feeling sad while missing his kids was greedy because it was a “me emotion.”
“What I get most is the guilt,” he added. “I feel like there’s a lot that can be blamed on me.”
He couldn’t help but wonder if things might have been different had he made other choices. Different scenarios played out in his mind, making him think that things would’ve been different if he wasn’t grumpy and tired after returning from work. The endless “what-ifs” now haunted him.
The tragic deaths of Rebecca Hughes and her three young daughters have left the tight-knit community of Wolcottville reeling.
In a touching display of solidarity and grief, residents have created an impromptu memorial outside the family’s home, leaving stuffed animals, flowers, and heartfelt notes to honor the lives lost.
Pam Laughlin, a fellow parishioner who attended the same church as Rebecca and her children, struggled to contain her emotions as she spoke about the girls.
“I threw up my breakfast because my heart hurt for these kids,” she said, her voice breaking mid-sentence.
“I wish it could’ve been me instead of the girls,” she added.
Fighting back tears, Laughlin remembered the three sisters as exceptionally kind children, a sentiment echoed by many who knew them.
Another neighbor, Greg Williams, shared his shock at the sudden loss. He recalled seeing Rebecca on the Friday before her demise while she was mowing the lawn. He just glanced at her and went his own way, unaware of what would happen a few days later.
“The next thing you know, the whole family’s gone,” he recounted, still visibly shaken.
Williams expressed hope that this tragedy would bring their close-knit community even closer together, fostering a greater awareness of each other’s struggles.
“I just feel sorry for the kids’ dad,” he added, acknowledging the immense pain Jonathan Newell must be experiencing.
In the face of this heartbreaking loss, the community has rallied around Jonathan in an extraordinary way. When he set up a GoFundMe page to give his daughters the burial they deserved, the response was overwhelming.
“This is really the last thing I get to do for them,” Jonathan said while talking about the online fundraiser.
The donations surpassed the initial $30,000 goal within just 12 hours of creating the page. As of the latest update, contributions have exceeded $45,000, with people continuing to offer their support.
The outpouring of generosity left Jonathan in tears. “People who didn’t even know me or my kids started just giving money and sending messages,” he said, visibly moved by the community’s response.
Eager to express his gratitude, Jonathan penned a heartfelt message to all who donated:
“Thank you all, this is way more than I could ask. If any of you need help ever, I’m there for you. I want to thank everyone personally. There is a lot I had to do today for the girls. Please don’t be offended if I haven’t got to you yet. [sic]”
Amidst the outpouring of grief for the children, Rebecca’s friend Ashley McAtee took to Facebook to remind the community of Rebecca’s humanity and struggle.
In a poignant post, Ashley wrote, “Since I’ve not seen one post with Rebecca Hughes picture or anyone showing any respect for her being gone as well as her 3 daughters, I’m gonna post a couple I have found.”
Ashley emphasized the complexity of the situation, urging people not to jump to conclusions. “It’s a tragic situation, and no one knows exactly why or what was going on in detail,” she wrote.
She painted a picture of Rebecca as a loving mother who may have been battling internal struggles without adequate support. “Rebecca did love her kids, and unfortunately I don’t think anyone was there for her as she was going thru something, mentally and emotionally [sic].”
Recalling their friendship, Ashley described Rebecca as “quiet and shy” to strangers but “so funny and bubbly” with friends. She said Rebecca and the girls were loved and hoped her friend was in a peaceful place now.
In the wake of this tragedy, Jonathan Newell has chosen to use this devastating experience as a platform to raise awareness about mental health, particularly for mothers and children. He sees it as a way to honor his daughters’ memory and potentially prevent similar tragedies in the future.
“If you feel like you’re struggling at all, get help,” Jonathan urged viewers during his interview. “You can call me. I’ll answer. We’ll talk it out.”
In another interview, Jonathan pleaded, “If you are a parent, and you have kids, and you need help, then get it. Because you don’t know when it’s going to be the last time you can.”
As the community continues to support Jonathan while grappling with the tragedy, the police officers continue their investigation. The authorities have yet to reveal the cause of the deaths.