A Missouri teacher was found responsible for a house fire that claimed the lives of her four young children. Bernadine "Birdie" Pruessner, 39, and her children - twins Ellie and Ivy (9), Jackson (6), and Millie (2) - all died in the fire on Monday, February 20, reported KSDK.
St. Louis County Police Department investigators have officially ruled the incident as a murder-suicide, stating that it is believed Ms Pruessner intentionally set a mattress on fire, identifying it as the point of origin for the fire. A note was found that revealed the mom-of-four's intentions to take her own life and the lives of her children, though the contents of the note were not disclosed, the report added.
A day before the tragic accident, the college professor, who was awarded ‘Missouri Teacher of the Year' in 2013, posted a cheerful selfie with her children, writing, "Us against the world. I'm so blessed to be their mama.”
Court records revealed that Ms Pruessner and her ex-husband, David Pruessner, divorced in 2017, and joint custody of their daughters was shared until last year when Mr David Pruessner objected to her plans to relocate.
Friends and family described her as being in an "awful place" due to ongoing legal battles with both her ex-husband and the father of her twin daughters, as well as her ex-boyfriend, the father of her other two children.
The family's statement on a GoFundMe page detailed the challenges Ms Pruessner faced in the legal battles and the emotional toll it took on her. Despite earning less than $60,000 a year, she struggled to meet the financial demands of the legal proceedings. The family raised over $13,000 of their $15,000 goal on the crowdfunding platform as of Thursday.
Ms Pruessner's lawyer, Nathan Cohen, was surprised at the tragic turn of events, stating that he never suspected Ms Pruessner to be a danger to herself or her children. “It's really strange,” he told the NY Post.
“This entire week I've been asking my staff, did I miss it? She was one of the rare clients you get in family law that is not only upbeat, but was not putting on a show,” he added.
“Last week, the ex-husband pulled another move. The last thing I said [to her] was ‘Don't worry, Birdie, we'll kick this one down, too'…apparently I missed every sign,” the lawyer said.
