Vanessa Collias, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and received a life sentence with parole eligibility after 18 years for the deaths of her sons on Dec. 10, 2023. Police found the boys unresponsive in the family home after Collias was discovered injured outside the building following a fall from a balcony. A forensic psychiatrist diagnosed Collias with an adjustment disorder after her husband died on Dec. 1, but the assessment did not remove criminal responsibility. Court documents say Collias left notes and items arranged beside the boys; prosecutors and defence jointly recommended the 18-year parole-eligibility term.
27-Year-Old Mother Sentenced to Life After Killing Her Two Young Sons Days After Husband's Death
Vanessa Collias, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and received a life sentence with parole eligibility after 18 years for the deaths of her sons on Dec. 10, 2023. Police found the boys unresponsive in the family home after Collias was discovered injured outside the building following a fall from a balcony. A forensic psychiatrist diagnosed Collias with an adjustment disorder after her husband died on Dec. 1, but the assessment did not remove criminal responsibility. Court documents say Collias left notes and items arranged beside the boys; prosecutors and defence jointly recommended the 18-year parole-eligibility term.
09:32 PM, 11/19/2025Society
Vanessa Collias, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 18 years, following a hearing at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Nov. 17.
The deaths occurred on Dec. 10, 2023. Police say officers found Collias injured on the ground outside an apartment building after she fell from a balcony; when they entered the residence they discovered her two sons, 4-year-old Dimitri and 5-year-old Yiannis, unresponsive. Both children were transported to hospital and later pronounced dead.
Charges and psychiatric assessment
Collias was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder, but the charges were reduced to second-degree murder after a forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Sumeeta Chatterjee, assessed her and diagnosed an adjustment disorder following the Dec. 1 death of her husband, 72-year-old Costa Collias, from leukemia. The psychiatrist testified that Collias felt "broken" and "absolutely alone" after his death and believed she wanted the family to be reunited. The diagnosis did not remove her criminal responsibility.
Court statement and case details
During a virtual court appearance on Nov. 17, Collias delivered a lengthy, emotional statement in which she apologized and described her grief and exhaustion after caring for her husband. In part she said:
'I want to start off by apologizing to everyone my actions hurt and to the people I have let down. A part of me wonders why I never said I needed help. I stand in front of you a broken person. I wonder if I’m damaged beyond repair because I feel life has shattered my hopes and dreams. To my babies, I love you more than anything. Thank you for showing me what true love is.'
Court documents indicate that after an attempted suicide Collias was left paraplegic. The materials also say she left notes for police, arranged funeral clothing for the boys beside a photograph of their father, and placed a cross beside their bodies.
Sentence
Both Crown and defence counsel recommended that Collias be sentenced to life with parole eligibility after 18 years; the superior court justice accepted that joint recommendation. Collias pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder on Nov. 17, and the life sentence with 18 years before parole eligibility was imposed the same day.
This case has drawn attention because of the sequence of losses in the family: the death of the father from leukemia on Dec. 1, 2023, followed days later by the deaths of the two young boys on Dec. 10.
Support and resources
If you or someone you know is in crisis or considering suicide, contact local emergency services or a crisis line. In the U.S. and Canada you can call or text 988 for immediate help; local resources and other international hotlines are available online.