On September 17, after attending to a welfare check at their residence, Wolcottville, Indiana, police found the bodies of Rebecca Hughes, 32, and her three daughters, Evalynn, 8, Allison, 6, and Amelia, 5. The autopsy results are still awaiting, thus the cause of death has not yet been disclosed by the inquiry, which is currently being handled by the Indiana State Police. The public has been told by authorities that there isn’t an urgent threat.
The daughters’ father, Jonathan Newell, talked candidly about the heartbreaking loss. He talked about how he was shocked to hear the news and at first dismissed his mother’s worries. Jonathan assured her, “Don’t worry, she’s fine, the kids are fine,” only to discover later that his daughters had left. “Sometimes you’re mad,” he explained. You become depressed sometimes. There are other moments when you feel so detached that you don’t even recognize yourself.
Through a GoFundMe campaign, the community has come together in support of Jonathan, donating almost $45,000 to assist with funeral costs. Inspired by the outpouring of support from strangers, Jonathan remarked, “This is really the last thing I get to do for them.”
Jonathan has decided to utilize the tragedy to spread awareness about mental health and encourage parents to get treatment when they need it, even as the community grieves. In an interview, he said, “If you are a parent with children and you need help, then get it,” in an effort to stop future tragedies of this kind.
