Mother Arrested and Detained for Alleged Murder of Twin Infants in Idaho

Kathmandu. A mother arrested on suspicion of murdering her 18-month-old twin infants in the US state of Idaho has been ordered by the court to remain in custody for pre-trial detention.

Although the mother claimed that her infants' deaths were caused by vaccination, police have accused her of suffocating the infants to death after an investigation.

According to the police, 23-year-old Andrea Shae claimed that her twin infants died eight days after receiving routine childhood vaccinations, including for flu, hepatitis-A, and tetanus. She was also the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the anti-vaccine organization 'Children's Health Defense'. The organization was founded and led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before he became the current US Health Minister.

The Payette Police Department in the northwestern US state of Idaho stated that Shae was arrested and charged after a long and detailed investigation. Police said they concluded that the infants' deaths were not natural but caused by suffocation.

In a court hearing on Tuesday, Shae's lawyer Joseph Philisetti claimed she was a 'loving and responsible mother' and that the portrayal by the state was different from reality.

Shae, who faces charges that could result in the death penalty, had requested a reduction in her bail amount of $2 million USD. She made this request on the grounds of being able to stay with her newborn daughter, born a few days before her arrest. However, the Idaho Statesman reported that Judge Kelli Stuchlik expressed concern about the seriousness of the incident and ordered her to remain in custody for pre-trial detention without granting bail.

After the death of the twin infants in May 2025, Shae stated that she found them unconscious in bed and publicly claimed that the deaths were caused by vaccination.

However, health experts have reiterated that there is scientific evidence that routine childhood vaccinations do not increase the risk of respiratory arrest or obstruction. They also stated that it is unusual to claim that twins who are not genetically identical died from an adverse reaction to the vaccine at the same time.

Health Minister Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has claimed a link between vaccines and autism, has not made any public statement about this incident. Similarly, Children's Health Defense has not responded to AFP's request for comment.