Police ID Mother, 2 Children Killed In Lakewood Ranch Murder-Suicide

LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL — Manatee County authorities said the woman found dead inside a Lakewood Ranch home on Friday killed her two children before taking her own life.

Manatee County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a home in the 8200 block of Pavia Way around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday for a welfare check. At a news conference livestreamed by WFLA, Manatee County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Randy Warren said deputies were first contacted by the father of the children, who was out of town and unable to reach his family.

When deputies arrived, Warren said it was “pretty obvious” there were deceased people inside the residence, prompting deputies to enter the home. Inside, they found 44-year-old Monika Rubacha, 14-year-old Josh James and 11-year-old Emma James dead from what authorities described as traumatic injuries.

Based on the investigation, detectives determined that the mother killed both children in separate rooms of the home before she took her own life. Warren described the scene inside the home as "violent," adding that some evidence suggests the boy may have been killed first.

“It’s horrible to even imagine what would have been going through the mind of this mother that led up to this,” Warren said.

The District 12 Medical Examiner will determine the official cause and manner of death. Authorities said there is no evidence indicating that any other individuals were involved.

The incident remains under investigation.