An Arizona woman accused of smothering her three young children in January reportedly told a relative that she was “scared” and “didn’t know what was going on” at the time because she was on drugs.
KPNX reported that the filmed conversation between Rachel Henry, 22, and the victims’ great aunt, Pearla Rebolledo, occurred this past spring. The news outlet obtained the six-minute video from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
During the video, Rachel Henry — who allegedly killed Zane Henry, 3, Mireya Henry, 1, and 7-month-old Catalaya Rios — tells Rebolledo that her family did not take her comments about her mental health seriously. She goes on to claim that she felt trapped at home and her family would not let her leave.
“That is the point I kept telling you. I felt like I was losing my mind. I didn’t know what was going on, I tried to talk to someone they said I was stupid or I scared, and I didn’t know what I was talking about,” the jailed mother says.
Rachel Henry reportedly smothered her children, starting with Mireya Henry, after the aunt came to her home to pick up the children’s father for work.
The 3-year-old reportedly yelled “no” at his mother and punched her to get her to stop smothering his younger sister. After killing her daughter, she briefly played with her son before taking him to a back room — where she placed her hand over his nose and mouth to kill him, according to KPNX.
Rachel Henry reportedly sang to her toddler son and infant daughter while smothering them.
The mother was filmed telling Rebolledo that she does not remember killing her children. She also said she was not herself the day the slayings occurred.
Rachel Henry has pleaded not guilty to killing her children. Her trial is scheduled to begin in September.
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[Featured image: Zane, Mireya, & Catalaya/Handout]
