Divorce-stricken acupuncturist accused of murdering her children at $1m home is picture of misery as she pleads NOT guilty in court

By JOE HUTCHISON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 23:35, 6 May 2026 | Updated: 23:47, 6 May 2026 A Massachusetts acupuncturist accused of murdering her own children amid a bitter divorce battle cried in court as she pleaded not guilty.  Janette MacAusland, 49, appeared in Dedham District Court on Wednesday facing two counts of murder relating to the deaths of her children Ella, 6, and Kai, 7.  She wept with her head bowed after being arrested last month following the discovery of her children's bodies inside her $1.5 million home in Wellesley. According to the Boston Globe, a wound was also visible on her neck in the courtroom which could be the result of a suicide attempt mentioned in court papers. Her lawyer also requested that she be housed inside Western Mass Regional Women's Correctional Center during the hearing, the outlet reported. Investigators said Kai and Ella were strangled to death in their family home, and their bodies were left for 'some time' before they were discovered  Police said after allegedly murdering her children she arrive at her aunt's house in Vermont covered in blood with a cut across her throat.  MacAusland is seen here inside Dedham District Court on Wednesday  She is facing two counts of murder relating to the deaths of her children Ella, 6, and Kai, 7 . She weeped with her head bowed after being arrested last month following the discovery of her children's bodies inside her $1.5 million home A statement from her relative to police said: 'After getting her to calm down, I checked her neck and could see that the blood on her was dried.  'Janette stated that she tried to kill herself. I asked her where her children were and she told me that she had killed them.' When questioned by investigators, MacAusland allegedly confessed to the killings and wanted to take her own life so they could 'go to God together'. She was arrested in Vermont and made her first court appearance in the state before being returned to Massachusetts.  Documents say she was in the midst of a bitter divorce from her husband Samuel at the time.  Her social media shows she had become obsessed with spirituality and 'enlightenment' in recent months.  The officer at the scene told dispatch that seconds after entering the home, he found evidence that a gruesome crime had been committed.  'There's blood splatter,' the officer said, according to police recordings posted by Broadcastify.  After police say she allegedly killed her young children, MacAusland is said to have dashed to her aunt's home in Vermont, according to a police report MacAusland is accused of killing her children while in the middle of an ugly divorce with her husband, Samuel MacAusland, the two are seen here together As more units arrived at the home, officers then found the bodies of Kai and Ella strangled to death.  MacAusland is due to appear back in court in July and has been held without bail following her arrest.  An official cause of death has not yet been released for the two children, it is also unclear when they died.  MacAusland attended New England School of Acupuncture and was listed as an acupuncturist with New England Integrated Health, which has since removed her description. Her profile said she also worked at Massachusetts General Hospital and founded Boston Acupuncture Trauma Relief after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.