Maisah Larkin and children.Photo: GoFundMe
After a frantic overnight search, a set of 2-year-old triplets were found safe on Dec. 19 after their mother was murdered in her living room the night before, according to a statement from the Philadelphia police.
On Sunday, Dec. 18, around 8 pm, officers responded to the Philadelphia home of Maisah Larkin, 39, on reports of a “person screaming,” per a police incident update.
Inside, Larkin was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds to the head.
A man believed to be her partner, 37-year-old Stanley Baptiste, allegedly took the couple’s three toddlers from the house after killing Larkin.
But the following day, when police found Baptiste in his Lincoln Navigator, dead of a gunshot wound, the triplets — a girl and two boys — were nowhere in sight. At that point, Pennsylvania State Police began publicly pleading for help in finding the missing kids.
Stanley Baptiste.
The toddlers were finally found safe the next day with a family member in Lansdale, Pa. (about 35 miles from Philadelphia), to the relief of relatives and friends.
Brenda Lovelace, Larkin’s neighbor,told ABC 6that the mom had said Baptiste was abusive. “She was planning on leaving, but she didn’t leave fast enough,” Lovelace said.
“I am still in shock,” Lovelace said, the outlet reported. “When I heard what happened, I just broke down and cried.”
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Philadelphia police are still investigating Larkin’s murder as a homicide with a “domestic” motive.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
