The South Carolina mother who smothered and then drowned her two sons was in a manic state and angry after arguing with her family about the care of her children.
Shaquan Duley's family, appearing on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' on Thursday, said the argument began because Duley was angry that family members had bathed her two children. Soon she sped off with the kids.
"She was highly upset, raging, acting like a crazy person, nothing like I've ever seen her before," Helen Duley said of her daughter. "She was depressed about not having a means to take care of the children."
After Duley stormed off, the family contacted police, who spoke to her and told her to return home. Instead, police say the mother confessed to smothering her two children (Devean Duley, 2, and 18-month-old Ja'van Duley) in a hotel room and then allegedly strapped the two boys in her car and drove them into the river.
"She got the children, and she had one under each arm, and she carried them out of the house," said Duley's sister Adriane Duley. "That was the last that I saw her."
Duley's lawyer said his client, who has yet to enter a plea on two counts of murder, is eligible for the death penalty; however, Carl B. Grant said he may pursue an insanity plea for his client, who was deeply depressed before the alleged murders.
Duley was unemployed and relying on her family for financial support. She was failing online classes and upset because she had not had contact with her children's father. Grant said she tried to commit suicide the night of the boys' deaths by taking dozens of headache medicines and trying to slit her wrists. She allegedly considered drowning herself in the car with her kids.
This was a woman who had truly reached rock bottom. Unfortunately, no one was able to reach her before she made her horrible decision.
What Duley is accused of doing is horrendous. There obviously had to be some psychological issues involved in her decision to kill her children.
However, anyone feeling at the end of his or her rope, as this mother obviously was, should reach hope that he or she will be able to reach out to someone for help. With people still losing their homes and jobs on a daily basis, there are people all around us who are susceptible to falling in to deep despair. Getting the message out that it is okay to reach out for help is the only positive thing that can come out of this terrible tragedy.
Even though everyone is angry at Duley and disgusted by her terrible actions, we must accept that it is our responsibility as a society and a community to reach out to people who might be in trouble, even if they try to pretend otherwise or do not ask for help.
Duley's family, who lost their beloved nephews and grandsons, say they have forgiven Duley because of their faith in God.
"I wish the best for my daughter," Helen Duley said. "Whatever she's dealing with inside, that's between her and God, but I wish the best for my daughter."
If Shaquan Duley's family can forgive her, then so should we.
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The South Carolina mother who smothered and then drowned her two sons was in a manic state and angry after arguing with her family about the care of her children.