Shocking court documents reveal a New Jersey mother allegedly drowned her daughters, aged 1 and 3, citing religious reasons. Naomi Elkins faces multiple charges amid claims of severe mental illness.
United States, Bollywood Fever: Shocking court documents have revealed the chilling reason a New Jersey mother allegedly drowned her two young daughters in a bathtub. Naomi Elkins, 27, was arrested at her home in the predominantly Orthodox Jewish community of Lakewood on Tuesday night. She has been charged with two counts of murder, possession of a weapon, and other offenses related to the deaths of her two children, ages 1 and 3.
Elkins told authorities she felt she “needed to kill the children for religious purposes” after they returned home from Giggles Daycare, where she worked and the children attended, according to arrest documents obtained by the New York Post. She later admitted, “that she knew that it was illegal to kill her children and that what she did was wrong,” the documents state.
Elkins allegedly brought one child into a bathroom at her apartment on Shenandoah Drive and held her underwater for about two to three minutes. The other child ran into a second bathroom, screaming. Elkins is then accused of following and drowning the second child as well. “She said that she counted to 50 multiple times to ensure she held them underwater for enough time,” the affidavit reads.
Elkins also reportedly told police she stabbed one of the daughters with a knife before running the bath. Officers later found a serrated knife with a red handle in the hallway bathroom sink. She realized her actions were wrong and called Hatzolah Medical Services, a Jewish volunteer ambulance program, informing dispatchers she had hurt her children.
First responders found the one-year-old with a “deep laceration in the middle of her stomach and a superficial wound on the left side of her back,” according to arrest records. EMTs attempted lifesaving measures, but both children were pronounced dead at the scene.
Elkins reportedly noted her struggles with bad feelings after her husband left on a business trip on May 24. She said she dropped her kids off at daycare that day and spent the night praying. Upon returning from work on Tuesday, she allegedly felt compelled to kill her children for religious reasons, though she later acknowledged the illegality and immorality of her actions.
Det. Alex Bromley of the Ocean County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit had Elkins write a letter to her children, now being used as evidence against her, the Post reports. Footage captured at the scene shows investigators coming and going, removing items from the Lakewood home.
Elkins made her first court appearance virtually before Judge Scott Basen on Wednesday afternoon, responding briefly to the judge’s remarks. She is scheduled to return to court on Monday.
Elkins’ family stated she has a history of mental health issues. “The Elkins family is deeply saddened by the tragic events involving Naomi Elkins and her two young children,” they said in a statement provided by her defense team on Thursday. “The sad truth is Naomi Elkins has a well-documented history of severe mental illness, which has absolutely played a major role in these devastating events.”
They acknowledged the seriousness of the charges and expressed their commitment to pursuing a just outcome that considers all circumstances involved. The murders occurred in a typically quiet Orthodox Jewish community, home to the world’s largest yeshiva outside of Israel, Beth Medrash Govoha, which focuses on Torah study.
Mayor Raymond Coles told APP, “It’s a horrible thing to know that something like that happened here. From what I know, it is the worst possible thing that can happen; anything involving children hurts, and it makes it more powerful and sad.” He emphasized the community’s shock and the support networks in place to help those affected.
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