On the 17th of September, officers of Wolcottville Police Department went to a house on the South Main Street after a distress call. At 11:20 a.m., the officers found three young sisters unresponsive along with an adult woman.
As the officials shared the details, the bodies were identified as 32-year-old Rebecca Hughes and her three daughters, Evalynn Newell, 8, Allison Newell, 6, and Amelia Newell, 5.
Indiana State Police took over the investigation while the Noble County is conducting the autopsies to learn the cause of death.
As the whole community is mourning the death of Rebecca Hughes and her three daughters, the father of the family Jonathan Newell had shared his thoughts.
The grieving father shared, “I had prepared myself to think that she [Rebecca] had ran with the kids. She didn’t show up. She’d done some other stuff that would sort of indicate that she wasn’t going to go along with it. [sic]”
Jonathan stated that he wanted to see his daughters more often, where he asked for one hour twice a month. When the terrible events happened, Jonathan was sleeping, she he was working three shifts each day.
Then he was awakened with the phone call of his mother. “Don’t worry, she’s fine, the kids are fine,” his mother tried to reassure him. As Jonathan saw the posts on social media, he found out that his children had passed away.
When he opened the door to went to Rebecca’s house, he saw that two officers walking towards his doorstep. Then he confirmed the news that his daughters had passed away.
“Sometimes you’re mad. Sometimes you’re sad. Other times you’re so dissociated you don’t even feel like you’re there,” Jonathan said.
“What I get most is the guilt,” Jonathan shared. “I feel like there’s a lot that can be blamed on me.” The grieving father said, who is still thinking over the “what-ifs” in gis mind.
A community member, Pam Laughlin, had shared her thoughts about the passing family members of Jonathan. “I threw up my breakfast because my heart hurt for these kids,” Laughlin said.
“I wish it could’ve been me instead of the girls,” Laughlin also said.
Another neighbour, Greg Williams also shared he saw Rebecca and the girls on Friday, and the next day they were gone. “The next thing you know, the whole family’s gone,” Williams said.
“I just feel sorry for the kids’ dad,” Williams shared his thoughts about Jonathan.
Rebecca’s friend Ashley McAtee had shared a heart-breaking post from her social media account. “Since I’ve not seen one post with Rebecca Hughes picture or anyone showing any respect for her being gone as well as her 3 daughters, I’m gonna post a couple I have found.” Ashley wrote.
“Rebecca did love her kids, and unfortunately I don’t think anyone was there for her as she was going thru something, mentally and emotionally [sic].”
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