Mother Charged With Murder, Sentenced to at Least 20 Years in Prison After Drowning Three Children in September 2022

Erin Merdy, 34, was sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty in March 2026 to first-degree murder charges in the deaths of her 7-year-old son Zachary, her 4-year-old daughter Liliana and her 3-month-old son Oliver.

The mother who drowned her three children in the waters off Coney Island in September 2022 has been sentenced to at least 20 years in prison, according to multiple news sources.

The mother of the three children that drowned in Coney Island on Monday has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, police announced today.

Police said at a press conference that three young children died after being found at the water’s edge in Coney Island this morning, following an intense three hour search effort. Police found the victims at approximately 4:42 a.m. after a search for the children and their mother which began at approximately 1:40 a.m., in response to a 911 call from a concerned family member that the children had been harmed by another family member at the apartment. After receiving a tip that they were at the boardwalk, police canvassed the boardwalk, streets, and beaches. Police located the mother at Brighton 6th Street and Riegelman Boardwalk. She was accompanied by other family members but not the children, officials said. That set off a more intense search involving Aviation and Harbor unit. At 4:42 a.m. police found a boy, girl, and baby girl at the water’s edge near West 35th Street, approximately 2 miles from where the mother was found. Despite life-saving measures including CPR, the children could not be resuscitated, and they were pronounced dead at an area hospital. They were ages 7, 4, and 3 months old. The mother was taken in for questioning but has not been charged with crimes. Police said she was at the station but not in custody. Officials are asking anyone with information about what transpired to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

Updates from CBS and NBC indicate that all three children were pronounced dead after lifesaving care was attempted.

EMS is transporting two of the children to the hospital.

Emergency personnel are performing life-saving methods on the three unresponsive children.

The address reported for this incident has changed to W 35th St & Boardwalk W.

Rescue units have rescued the third child, a 10-month-year-old baby, from the water and have them all on the shore at the same location.

A citizen user shared a video showing multiple emergency units active at the scene.

A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at Boardwalk E & Brighton 6th St.

Erin Merdy, 34, was sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty in March 2026 to first-degree murder charges in the deaths of her 7-year-old son Zachary, her 4-year-old daughter Liliana and her 3-month-old son Oliver.

The mother who drowned her three children in the waters off Coney Island in September 2022 has been sentenced to at least 20 years in prison, according to multiple news sources.

The mother of the three children that drowned in Coney Island on Monday has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, police announced today.

Police said at a press conference that three young children died after being found at the water’s edge in Coney Island this morning, following an intense three hour search effort. Police found the victims at approximately 4:42 a.m. after a search for the children and their mother which began at approximately 1:40 a.m., in response to a 911 call from a concerned family member that the children had been harmed by another family member at the apartment. After receiving a tip that they were at the boardwalk, police canvassed the boardwalk, streets, and beaches. Police located the mother at Brighton 6th Street and Riegelman Boardwalk. She was accompanied by other family members but not the children, officials said. That set off a more intense search involving Aviation and Harbor unit. At 4:42 a.m. police found a boy, girl, and baby girl at the water’s edge near West 35th Street, approximately 2 miles from where the mother was found. Despite life-saving measures including CPR, the children could not be resuscitated, and they were pronounced dead at an area hospital. They were ages 7, 4, and 3 months old. The mother was taken in for questioning but has not been charged with crimes. Police said she was at the station but not in custody. Officials are asking anyone with information about what transpired to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

Updates from CBS and NBC indicate that all three children were pronounced dead after lifesaving care was attempted.

EMS is transporting two of the children to the hospital.

Emergency personnel are performing life-saving methods on the three unresponsive children.

The address reported for this incident has changed to W 35th St & Boardwalk W.

Rescue units have rescued the third child, a 10-month-year-old baby, from the water and have them all on the shore at the same location.

A citizen user shared a video showing multiple emergency units active at the scene.

A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at Boardwalk E & Brighton 6th St.

Erin Merdy, 34, was sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty in March 2026 to first-degree murder charges in the deaths of her 7-year-old son Zachary, her 4-year-old daughter Liliana and her 3-month-old son Oliver.

The mother who drowned her three children in the waters off Coney Island in September 2022 has been sentenced to at least 20 years in prison, according to multiple news sources.

The mother of the three children that drowned in Coney Island on Monday has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, police announced today.

Police said at a press conference that three young children died after being found at the water’s edge in Coney Island this morning, following an intense three hour search effort. Police found the victims at approximately 4:42 a.m. after a search for the children and their mother which began at approximately 1:40 a.m., in response to a 911 call from a concerned family member that the children had been harmed by another family member at the apartment. After receiving a tip that they were at the boardwalk, police canvassed the boardwalk, streets, and beaches. Police located the mother at Brighton 6th Street and Riegelman Boardwalk. She was accompanied by other family members but not the children, officials said. That set off a more intense search involving Aviation and Harbor unit. At 4:42 a.m. police found a boy, girl, and baby girl at the water’s edge near West 35th Street, approximately 2 miles from where the mother was found. Despite life-saving measures including CPR, the children could not be resuscitated, and they were pronounced dead at an area hospital. They were ages 7, 4, and 3 months old. The mother was taken in for questioning but has not been charged with crimes. Police said she was at the station but not in custody. Officials are asking anyone with information about what transpired to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

Updates from CBS and NBC indicate that all three children were pronounced dead after lifesaving care was attempted.

EMS is transporting two of the children to the hospital.

Emergency personnel are performing life-saving methods on the three unresponsive children.

The address reported for this incident has changed to W 35th St & Boardwalk W.

Rescue units have rescued the third child, a 10-month-year-old baby, from the water and have them all on the shore at the same location.

A citizen user shared a video showing multiple emergency units active at the scene.

A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at Boardwalk E & Brighton 6th St.

Erin Merdy, 34, was sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty in March 2026 to first-degree murder charges in the deaths of her 7-year-old son Zachary, her 4-year-old daughter Liliana and her 3-month-old son Oliver.

The mother who drowned her three children in the waters off Coney Island in September 2022 has been sentenced to at least 20 years in prison, according to multiple news sources.

The mother of the three children that drowned in Coney Island on Monday has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, police announced today.

Police said at a press conference that three young children died after being found at the water’s edge in Coney Island this morning, following an intense three hour search effort. Police found the victims at approximately 4:42 a.m. after a search for the children and their mother which began at approximately 1:40 a.m., in response to a 911 call from a concerned family member that the children had been harmed by another family member at the apartment. After receiving a tip that they were at the boardwalk, police canvassed the boardwalk, streets, and beaches. Police located the mother at Brighton 6th Street and Riegelman Boardwalk. She was accompanied by other family members but not the children, officials said. That set off a more intense search involving Aviation and Harbor unit. At 4:42 a.m. police found a boy, girl, and baby girl at the water’s edge near West 35th Street, approximately 2 miles from where the mother was found. Despite life-saving measures including CPR, the children could not be resuscitated, and they were pronounced dead at an area hospital. They were ages 7, 4, and 3 months old. The mother was taken in for questioning but has not been charged with crimes. Police said she was at the station but not in custody. Officials are asking anyone with information about what transpired to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

Updates from CBS and NBC indicate that all three children were pronounced dead after lifesaving care was attempted.

EMS is transporting two of the children to the hospital.

Emergency personnel are performing life-saving methods on the three unresponsive children.

The address reported for this incident has changed to W 35th St & Boardwalk W.

Rescue units have rescued the third child, a 10-month-year-old baby, from the water and have them all on the shore at the same location.

A citizen user shared a video showing multiple emergency units active at the scene.

A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at Boardwalk E & Brighton 6th St.

Erin Merdy, 34, was sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty in March 2026 to first-degree murder charges in the deaths of her 7-year-old son Zachary, her 4-year-old daughter Liliana and her 3-month-old son Oliver.

The mother who drowned her three children in the waters off Coney Island in September 2022 has been sentenced to at least 20 years in prison, according to multiple news sources.

The mother of the three children that drowned in Coney Island on Monday has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, police announced today.

Police said at a press conference that three young children died after being found at the water’s edge in Coney Island this morning, following an intense three hour search effort. Police found the victims at approximately 4:42 a.m. after a search for the children and their mother which began at approximately 1:40 a.m., in response to a 911 call from a concerned family member that the children had been harmed by another family member at the apartment. After receiving a tip that they were at the boardwalk, police canvassed the boardwalk, streets, and beaches. Police located the mother at Brighton 6th Street and Riegelman Boardwalk. She was accompanied by other family members but not the children, officials said. That set off a more intense search involving Aviation and Harbor unit. At 4:42 a.m. police found a boy, girl, and baby girl at the water’s edge near West 35th Street, approximately 2 miles from where the mother was found. Despite life-saving measures including CPR, the children could not be resuscitated, and they were pronounced dead at an area hospital. They were ages 7, 4, and 3 months old. The mother was taken in for questioning but has not been charged with crimes. Police said she was at the station but not in custody. Officials are asking anyone with information about what transpired to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

Updates from CBS and NBC indicate that all three children were pronounced dead after lifesaving care was attempted.

EMS is transporting two of the children to the hospital.

Emergency personnel are performing life-saving methods on the three unresponsive children.

The address reported for this incident has changed to W 35th St & Boardwalk W.

Rescue units have rescued the third child, a 10-month-year-old baby, from the water and have them all on the shore at the same location.

A citizen user shared a video showing multiple emergency units active at the scene.

A 911 caller has reported an unconfirmed incident at Boardwalk E & Brighton 6th St.