Mother of 7 Arrested for Allegedly Fatally Stabbing 3 of Her Children; Husband Says She Was Battling Depression

PAULDING COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

A mother of seven from Georgia has been arrested and charged after she allegedly stabbed and killed three of her children.

Police responded to a 911 call, claiming that a woman inside the house was trying to stab the people inside. The caller also reported that the house had been set on fire.

Investigators turned up at the home to discover seven children in the house.

Sadly two of the children, a five-month-old and a three-year-old, were pronounced dead on the scene. A three-year-old child had also suffered multiple stab wounds.

Three more children — ages 5, 9, and 11 — were rushed to a local hospital. The 5-year-old later succumbed to the injuries.

The 14 and 16-year-old children did not appear to have any injuries.

Police arrested and charged Darlene Brister, 40, with two counts of malice murder. She is being held without bond.

Her husband spoke to a local news channel about the attack. He says his wife of 17 years was suffering from depression.

On Monday, the children's father and Brister's husband of 17 years, Ricky Brister, said his wife suffered from depression.

"She was hurt," Ricky Brister told WAGA-TV. "She lost it."

Investigators have not determined whether the house fire was started intentionally.

"I'm a Christian man and I have Christian values. My message is a message of compassion for everybody," he said."There's nothing else that's going to help us get past this."

A GoFundMe page was created to help support the family. The page was created before the five-year-old passed away.

If you are suffering from depression, please call SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service). It is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders.