ST. PAUL, Minn. — Next to the shore of Vadnais Lake, where authorities say a mother drowned her three young children, a memorial of stuffed animals, candles and flowers has been growing. Attached to one bouquet is a sign that says, “For the children,” with three hearts drawn on the paper.
The children found in the lake in Vadnais Heights on Friday and Saturday were 3, 4 and 5, officials said Tuesday. The body of their 23-year-old mother, Molly Cheng, also was pulled from the lake. The Ramsey County sheriff’s office said they’re investigating the case as a triple murder-suicide.
Police first made contact with Cheng shortly after 10:30 a.m. Friday, when she reported her husband had shot himself. Officers and firefighters were dispatched to the family’s home in the Rolling Hills of Maplewood mobile home park, off Geneva Avenue.
