A Michigan mother and two children were found frozen to death over the weekend, according to police.
A third child survived by seeking help from a stranger.
Monica Cannady, 35, and her sons Kyle Milton, 9, and Malik Milton, 3, were found on Sunday afternoon in a park near in Pontiac, Michigan, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
An autopsy revealed that all three died due to hypothermia, according to Fox 2 Detroit.
Ms Cannady’s 10-year-old daughter, who survived, sought help from a stranger living near the park and told them her family had died. They alerted the police, and the girl was transported to the hospital, where she is in stable condition.
"This tragedy was based in a mental health crisis," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said during a press conference on Monday.
He said that Ms Cannady spent Saturday wandering the area and stopping at random homes asking for food. She reportedly refused to accept money from any of the residents they met.
The sheriff also revealed that Ms Cannady allegedly thought someone was trying to kill her, prompting her to flee from her apartment sometime last week. He relatives reportedly described her behaviour as paranoid.
Mr Bouchard said that police had received calls in previous days reporting a family that was not dressed to survive cold weather wandering around on the streets. When police searched for the family, they reportedly did not find anyone.
The sheriff said that Ms Cannady told her children to hide if anyone approached them, and told them to lay down on the ground and sleep.
"The girl that survived woke up," Mr Bouchard said, according to broadcaster WXYZ. "No one else did."
A GoFundMe has been established for Ms Cannady’s surviving daughter. Her father was reportedly murdered in 2021, according to WXYZ.
