US mother kills four-year-old daughter, dies by suicide after custody battle
By Adewale Owoade
A 35-year-old woman in Houston, Texas, United States, reportedly killed her four-year-old daughter and later died by suicide after losing a custody battle over the child.
The New York Post reported on Friday that the woman, identified as Cibelle Savella, shot her daughter, Vivian, hours after a family court judge awarded primary custody of the child to her father, Aaron Savella.
According to the newspaper, police responded to a shooting at the family’s home in west Houston and found Vivian dead from a gunshot wound.
Savella was also found with a gunshot wound and was taken to hospital, where she later died.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after a custody hearing concerning Vivian, during which the judge ruled in favour of the child’s father.
The New York Post reported that Vivian was expected to be handed over to her father later that day.
Houston Police Department Lt. Larry Crowson said the custody hearing “didn’t go well for the mother,” according to the report.
“There was a custody hearing earlier today that didn’t go well for the mother,” Crowson said.
The newspaper reported that Savella returned home after the hearing before the shooting occurred.
The child’s father had reportedly been involved in a prolonged custody dispute with Savella following their divorce.
According to the New York Post, court orders had imposed several restrictions on Savella, including supervised communication with her daughter, restrictions on attending some of the child’s school activities and financial obligations towards the child.
The reasons for the restrictions were not immediately clear.
The father’s lawyer, Charlotte Rainwater, described the incident as highly unusual.
“I’ve been practising family law for 28 years and have never experienced anything like this,” Rainwater said, according to the New York Post.
The child’s family described Vivian as deeply loved and said Aaron had complied with the court process throughout the custody dispute.
“Aaron did everything the law asks of a parent who is trying to protect his child. He trusted the courts. He followed every order. He waited for the process to work,” the family said through their lawyer, according to the newspaper.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
