Final moments revealed: Mo. children allegedly killed by mother

A Missouri mother accused of killing her two children reportedly told police she tried to “sacrifice” her son before drowning him, police records show.

According to a probable cause statement reviewed by PEOPLE, authorities allege Ashley Parmeley walked into the lobby of the Festus Police Department and confessed to the murder of her two children, later identified in obituaries as Scarlet Parmeley, 9, and Isaac Baum, 2.

Ashley reportedly told investigators she drowned one child and shot the other, according to the probable cause affidavit. Police say they searched Ashley’s vehicle and found Scarlet in the trunk with multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a second probable cause statement, police admitted that Ashley was driving around St. Francois County before she drove off the road near a body of water and shot her daughter.

Isaac was found in the pool of a fountain at a resort. Ashley reportedly told police that her son was crying after she shot Scarlet. She said she then drove off before finding the resort, where she held Isaac underwater for four to five minutes, the statement said.

The probable cause statement did not specify what Ashley meant by “victim.”

Ashley is charged with first-degree murder in St. Francois County, the Jefferson County area where her son was allegedly killed, court records show. She is currently being represented by a public defender and PEOPLE has not been able to reach her attorney. She has not yet entered a guilty plea.

Separate GoFundMe fundraisers have been launched for the families of Scarlet and Isaac, which have so far raised a total of over $20,000.

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According to his obituary, which was published in The Leader News, Isaac was a “fun-loving boy who loved to play in the water, especially in the stream or in the shower. He also enjoyed playing with his cars, throwing things, picking up any sticks he could find, and running around in his diaper.”

Scarlet loved “playing softball and talking about her little brother,” her teacher Abby Tinnin wrote in a Facebook post. “She could hold a conversation with just about anyone. At the end of the year, I chose her as the ‘Squirrel Award’ because she was able to bring people who needed a friend together and make them feel like they belonged.”

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in more than 170 languages.