A 39-year-old Illinois woman, Theresa Kennedy, is accused of falsely accusing her ex-husband of killing their three children. Reportedly, she has been embroiled in a custody battle that led to the alleged crime.
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According to a news release issued by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), the incident occurred on September 5. At around 1:20 p.m., the LCSO 911 Center received a 911 call allegedly placed by Kennedy.
The woman claimed, according to the LCSO, that she had received a call from her eldest son, saying that he had found his younger siblings shot and killed inside their West Jersey Drive home.
Kennedy allegedly told the 911 dispatcher that she believed her eldest son had also been killed, as the call disconnected and he became unreachable. She told police that she believed her ex-husband might be the one who pulled the trigger, the LCSO alleged.
LCSO deputies rushed to the address, believing they would encounter a nightmarish, bloody scene. However, that was not the case at all. No one was found injured or killed, and Kennedy’s younger children were at school at the time.
An investigation carried out by deputies found that Kennedy had allegedly placed the “bizarre call” while she was embroiled in a custody dispute with her ex-husband.
“It is unknown how she felt making this false claim would be beneficial to her,” the LCSO added.
Mother Charged
Theresa Kennedy was arrested and transported to the Lake County Jail. Meanwhile, LCSO deputies contacted the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services. As a result, the children’s father took custody of the two young children.
After reviewing the case, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a charge of felony disorderly conduct (making a false report to 911). As reported by Law & Crime, Kennedy was granted pretrial release after her court appearance on Saturday, September 6. She is scheduled to return to court on September 24.
If convicted, Kennedy faces up to three years in prison if her charge is classified as a Class 4 felony, according to attorneys. If classified as a Class 3 felony, she could face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.