A northern Virginia mother who sedated her daughters with melatonin-laced gummy bears before fatally shooting has been sentenced to 78 years in prison.

A northern Virginia mother who sedated her two daughters with melatonin-laced gummy bears before fatally shooting them was sentenced Friday to 78 years in prison.

Veronica Youngblood, 38, was arrested in August 2018 after shooting daughters Sharon Castro, 15, and Brooklynn Youngblood, 5, in their apartment in McLean. Castro survived long enough to call 911 and tell a dispatcher she had been shot by her mother. Jurors heard a recording of that call during a two-week trial that was so traumatic that jurors inquired about whether they could receive trauma therapy.

Youngblood told detectives that she planned to kill them and herself following a protracted custody dispute. Ron Youngblood, her ex-husband, told The Associated Press after the hearing that he had wanted to move to Missouri with both daughters but had reluctantly agreed to take only Brooklyn after his ex-wife objected.

      • StarManta@lemmy.worldEnglish
        132·
        1 year ago

        If she told the kids they were just eating regular gummies rather than sleep inducing ones, then “laced” is still appropriate here.

      • Nougat@kbin.social
        14·
        1 year ago

        Homeopathy is where you dilute something so many times that there are statistically zero molecules of it left in the substance you’re diluting it in, and that somehow makes it more potent. (Narrator: It doesn’t.)

        Melatonin is an actual substance that tells your brain, “Hey, you’re pretty tired, you should be sleeping right now,” and it’s hella effective and extremely safe.

      • Entropywins@kbin.social
        2·
        1 year ago

        Nah they have melatonin gummies and pills for a sleep aid and regular doctors will recommend them I take em a lot to help sleeping during the day I’ve been on night shift for 5 years or so and these help out here n there.