A family and a Phoenix neighborhood are still in shock after the bodies of two little girls were found in an apartment on September 8.
Four-year-old Royal McIntyre and nine-year-old Aleyah McIntyre were discovered at around 6 p.m. by emergency responders. AZ Family reported that the girls’ mother was also at the scene with injuries. Phoenix Police Sgt. Andy Williams said Retta Cruse was “suffering from what are believed to be multiple self-inflicted stab wounds.”
Initially, the father, Michael Coleman, was questioned by police but later released.
Cruse was arrested for suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with Royal and Aleyah’s deaths on September 15.
The arrest report stated, “The girls were found on one bed, facing each other, with their arms around each other as though they had been placed into this position. There were no obvious injuries to either girl.”
Police investigators ascertained that Cruse overdosed her daughters with prescription drugs saying, “There were visual signs from the victims indicative of an overdose.”
A coroner will perform toxicology tests on Royal and Aleyah and an autopsy to determine their cause of death.
The arrest report also indicated that Cruse barricaded herself in a bedroom by pushing a bed against the door. The mother allegedly wrote a note disclosing that she took her daughters’ lives over a lost custody battle for one of the children.
According to court documents given to the news outlet, Cruse “made admissions to hospital staff as to her involvement in taking the life of her oldest daughter and attempting to take her own life. Retta claimed [somebody] suggested she kill the girls and herself; however, she denied taking any action.”
“Retta denied knowing how the girls died and denied knowing about the confession letter.”
Neighbor Teri Potter told AZ Family, “They’re angels now. I didn’t know them. I just know that there’s kids involved, and it’s really upsetting that this could happen. I mean their whole family’s going through it.”
The concerned woman had left angels and candles in memory of Aleyah and Royal.
On a GoFundMe page for the young girls, Coleman stated that the family moved to Phoenix from New Jersey for “spiritual reasons.”
The fundraiser has exceeded its goal of raising $8,000.
