New Jersey – In a heartbreaking and deeply unsettling case out of New Jersey, a 35-year-old mother, identified as P. Natarajan, has been charged with murdering her two young sons, aged 5 and 7, after allegedly strangling them while she was alone with them at home. Authorities say Natarajan left behind a handwritten confession addressed to her husband, admitting to the killings and revealing that she had also planned to take her life.
Natarajan is now facing two counts of first-degree murder and one count of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Investigators discovered “multiple ligature materials” in the family’s home, which they believe have been used in the fatal attack.
The tragedy was discovered on Tuesday evening, January 9, 2026, when the children’s father returned to their residence after work around 6:45 p.m. What he found was beyond comprehension—his two sons, unresponsive in the bedroom. According to an affidavit of probable cause, before calling 911, Natarajan confessed to her husband that she had killed the boys. When officers from the police department arrived, they attempted lifesaving measures on the children, but it was too late. Both boys were pronounced dead at the scene.
Soon after, police executed a search warrant at the residence and discovered a note written by Natarajan. In it, she addressed her husband directly, admitting that she planned to kill both children and herself. While the motive behind the killings remains unclear, the note was a key piece of evidence leading to her arrest. Natarajan was arrested that same evening and transported to the prosecutor’s office. She is now being held in county jail, awaiting a detention hearing. Prosecutors have confirmed she is the sole individual responsible for the deaths.
The identities of the children have not been officially released pending autopsies by the medical examiner, who will determine the exact cause and manner of death. However, Superintendent M. Volpe confirmed the boys’ status as elementary students. In a public statement, Volpe described the deaths as an “unfathomable loss.” “There are no words to adequately capture the weight of this tragedy,” he said, “and our hearts are with the families and the entire community as they grieve.” Volpe told local media he was at the elementary school the morning after the incident. Crisis teams and school counselors were brought in to support both students and staff. Teachers and administrators were urged to speak to children honestly and gently, while parents were encouraged to limit social media exposure to avoid distressing rumors.
The incident has left neighbors in shock. The family lived in what many described as a quiet, peaceful complex, and residents said there were no signs of trouble leading up to the tragedy. While the investigation remains ongoing, authorities have not provided a motive for the killings. They continue to collect evidence and await the final autopsy reports. As the community mourns the loss of two young lives, the question of why remains painfully unanswered. A father is left without his sons, a school has lost two of its students, and a neighborhood once filled with children’s laughter now echoes with grief.
