Kentucky mother accused of murdering her two children can plead insanity

A Kentucky mother accused of killing her two children is pleading insanity.

In a motion filed Wednesday, September 11, in Bullitt District Court, Tiffanie Lucas' defense attorney said she intends to plead “insanity at the time of the alleged offense.”

Lucas is accused of killing her two sons, 6-year-old Maurice Baker Jr. and 9-year-old Jayden Howard, on November 8, 2023.

According to the motion, obtained by PEOPLE, the defense also intends to “introduce expert evidence at trial relating to mental disease, mental defect, or other mental condition relevant to the issue of guilt and punishment.”

The two boys were found in a bedroom of their Shepherdsville home. They had been shot.

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At a hearing in November 2023, a detective testified that when officers arrived at the scene, Lucas walked out of her house and collapsed on the driveway of the neighbor's property, according to WHAS 11, WDRB and WAVE.

After being taken into police custody for questioning, Lucas said the incident was “an accident,” according to WDRB, WHAS and WAVE.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in more than 170 languages.