Over 500 Mourn Ella, 6, and Kai MacAusland, 7, at Wellesley Candlelight Vigil

 More than 500 Wellesley residents gathered Wednesday night to mourn Kai and Ella MacAusland, young siblings whose deaths have shaken the Massachusetts community amid allegations their mother killed them during a contentious custody battle. The candlelight vigil at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church filled the sanctuary to capacity with classmates, teachers, neighbors, and town officials seeking comfort together in shared grief and disbelief.

Six-year-old Ella and seven-year-old Kai were found dead in their family's Wellesley home Friday night after police conducted a welfare check, authorities said. The children's mother, Janette MacAusland, 49, has been charged with two counts of murder in their deaths and remains in custody in Vermont while awaiting extradition to Massachusetts, according to police and court records.

Court records show MacAusland had been involved in an ongoing divorce and custody dispute with the children's father, with filings in late 2025 showing both parents seeking custody of the children and the home. The dispute, neighbors said, had weighed heavily on the family in recent months and was known within the community, adding to the sense of heartbreak and confusion.

At the vigil, mourners embraced as they lit candles and bowed their heads in prayer, many wiping away tears as children's voices sang softly from the choir loft. The Rev. Adrian Robbins-Cole, rector of St. Andrew's, told those gathered that the community's response reflected a shared need to grieve together and to offer support to the devastated family and friends left behind.

"What I'm really struck by is the way the whole community has really rallied together for this service," Robbins-Cole said, urging people to show kindness and gentleness to each other and to pray for the children and their loved ones during this incomprehensible loss that no family should ever have to endure.

Police have released limited details about the killings, citing the ongoing investigation, but court documents show MacAusland allegedly told Vermont officers she tried to kill herself after the act. She was found at an aunt's home in Bennington, Vermont, bleeding from a neck wound and acting highly distraught before being arrested as a fugitive from justice, authorities said.

MacAusland has since waived extradition in a Vermont courtroom and is being held without bail pending transfer. Prosecutors said she is expected to be brought back to Massachusetts and arraigned on two murder charges within the next two weeks, where she will face formal proceedings in Norfolk County Superior Court and a potential life sentence.

The vigil ended with quiet singing and a long line of candles illuminating the church steps, as residents left handwritten notes, stuffed animals, and flowers for Ella and Kai. Community leaders said support services and counseling will remain available for students and families as Wellesley continues to process a profound loss that has left an entire town in mourning and searching for healing together.