Woman kills 2 grandsons, then herself, police say
By Stephanie Gallman and Michael Pearson, CNN
updated 6:46 PM EST, Wed February 27, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Deborah Denison was supposed to be bringing kids home, police say
- Instead, police believe she killed them and then herself
- "She sounded fine," slain boys' mom tells TV station
- The grandmother had a history of mental illness, CNN affiliate WFSB-TV reported
(CNN) -- It should have been little Alton's big day.
He was turning 2, and grandma was bringing him and his baby brother, Ashton, home from day care to celebrate.
That's where it all apparently went wrong.
Connecticut State Police say the grandmother, 47-year-old Debra Denison, killed the boys and then herself Tuesday in Preston, Connecticut.
The boys' mother, Brenda Perry, called police around 4 p.m. ET Tuesday to say she could not find the boys or her mother, who Perry said had a history of mental illness, according to CNN affiliate WFSB-TV in Hartford.
"She sounded fine; she was planning on picking them up and bringing them back to my house," Perry told the station. "That was the last we heard from her."
Police found the three Tuesday night after a 911 caller reported seeing a vehicle with three injured people inside that matched one mentioned in an Amber alert issued that afternoon.
All three were dead of gunshot wounds, WFSB reported.
Police found a suicide note in the vehicle but haven't said what was in it, WFSB said.
After the bodies were discovered, WFSB reported, Perry posted to her Facebook page, "God has two beautiful angels helping him now."
Part of complete coverage on
updated 2:48 AM EDT, Fri May 24, 2013
"It's always the one we feared, the lone wolf that can come from nowhere and not be on our radar," said ex-London police chief John Yates.
Learn about one woman's tireless battle against sex slavery in the Philippines, with Manny Pacquiao in her corner. Watch the full version here.
updated 6:43 AM EDT, Thu May 23, 2013
Ai Weiwei, the controversial Chinese artist-activist, has released a music single and video inspired by his harrowing detention by the government.
updated 2:13 AM EDT, Fri May 24, 2013
CNN's Christiane Amanpour and Nic Robertson give their insight on the brutal murder of a man in broad daylight.
updated 10:15 AM EDT, Thu May 23, 2013
Imagine if you could paint a working light switch directly onto your wall, without any need for sockets, cables or wiring. Well, now you can.
updated 10:45 AM EDT, Thu May 23, 2013
A rare Apple 1 computer, with only 50 in existence today, could sell at auction for $400,000.
updated 1:14 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
Did you know that hurricanes can also produce tornadoes? Read facts you didn't know about destructive twisters.
updated 7:19 AM EDT, Thu May 23, 2013
The World Economic Forum has declared Egypt one of the most dangerous places for tourists, above Yemen and Pakistan in terms of risks for visitors.
updated 5:07 PM EDT, Thu May 23, 2013
Doctors used an experimental technique never tried before on humans to save the life of a six-week-old baby from a rare lung condition.
Five years after the 2008 Olympics construction boom, new Beijing hotels have steadily cropped up.