ST. PETERS, Mo. (AP) — Police in a St. Louis suburb say they believe a 37-year-old woman drowned her two children in a bathtub before dying in a house fire she appeared to set intentionally.
The St. Peters, Missouri, Police Department said in a statement Saturday that it believes Jenny Ayers “played a role” in the deaths of her two children and nothing suggested “any outside foul play.”
The fire occurred Thursday evening. The police said that when officers and firefighters arrived, the home’s doors were locked from the inside.
The police said the bodies of the two children, 10-year-old Jordie Hines, and 5-year-old Jada Hines, were found submerged in a bathtub.
They said Ayers’ body was found near the back door. The fire started there, and police said a gasoline can was found nearby.