Cary mother charged in death of 2 young daughters makes first court appearance
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Cary mother, accused of killing her two young daughters, made a first court appearance on Monday afternoon.
Launice Battle, 29, was arrested at Duke Raleigh Hospital on Sunday after the two little girls, ages 3 and 2, were declared dead at Duke Raleigh Hospital.
ABC11 spoke with Battle's father and cousin right after her court appearance.
They seemed blindsided and confused by the tragic events. They want answers as to how and why this happened.
Both men were in the courtroom Monday afternoon as Battle made her appearance before a Wake County judge.
The crime happened on Saturday, according to arrest records. The girls were identified as 3-year-old Trinity Michelle Milbourne and 2-year-old Amora Lou Milbourne.
Officers have not released details about where the crime took place or the exact cause of death of the children.
ABC11 went to the listed address for Battle on Sunday but no one came to the door.
A few neighbors, who declined to speak on camera, described always seeing small children at the home. Others said they would see children playing in the front yard.
Kiddie Academy of Cary, where one of the children attended, released a statement Monday.
"We are shocked and devastated by learning of the tragic death of Trinity Milbourne, who attended the Kiddie Academy of Cary. This sudden and unexplained loss leaves us heartbroken and profoundly affects our entire community. We know that our Kiddie Academy families and teachers will be supportive of one another as we deal with this painful news. We are committed to providing a caring and nurturing environment for the children in our care and will focus our undivided attention on helping the members of our community deal with this devastating loss."
It appears Battle started a Facebook group to help first-time moms. It's an online community that was established in 2016 and one that she last updated within the past three days
In a post, it appears Battle described her own journey as a mother. She described being a mom of three children--a son and two daughters. She also disclosed that one of her children has a genetic disorder.
During the initial court appearance, Battle only responded when asked what her name was. The entire process was brief.
Battle, who also has a 6-year-old son, was ordered held until her next court appearance in September.
