A mother from northern Virginia, Veronica Youngblood, who administered melatonin-laced gummy bears to sedate her two daughters before tragically shooting them, has been handed a 78-year prison sentence on Friday.

Veronica Youngblood, aged 38, was apprehended in August 2018 for the shooting deaths of her daughters, Sharon Castro, 15, and Brooklynn Youngblood, 5, in their McLean apartment.

Castro managed to call 911 after being shot and informed the dispatcher about her mother’s actions.

Jurors were subjected to the distressing 911 call during a two-week trial, which was so emotionally taxing that they inquired about the possibility of receiving trauma therapy, the Associated Press reports.

Youngblood admitted to planning the killings as well as her own suicide due to an extended custody dispute.

Her ex-husband, Ron Youngblood, disclosed to The Associated Press after the trial that he had originally intended to relocate to Missouri with both daughters but had reluctantly agreed to take only Brooklyn due to objections from his ex-wife.

Authorities revealed that Youngblood had given her daughters the melatonin-infused gummy bears before shooting them while they were in their beds.

During the trial, Youngblood presented an insanity defense, but it was ultimately rejected.

After hearing testimony during the sentencing phase, which detailed Youngblood’s upbringing in poverty in Argentina, childhood experiences of physical and sexual abuse, and involvement in sex work as a teenager to support her older daughter, the jury recommended a 78-year prison term.

Before receiving her sentence on Friday, Youngblood spoke for more than 30 minutes about her daughters and the challenges she faced while raising them.

Written by staff