A Payette mother who publicly blamed routine childhood vaccinations for the deaths of her 18-month-old twins has now been indicted on first-degree murder charges, in a case that has drawn national attention and fierce debate.
A Payette County grand jury returned a two-count indictment on June 29 charging 23-year-old Andrea Shaw with first-degree murder. Prosecutors allege she suffocated the children, according to The Associated Press. Shaw was arrested in Boise on June 30, arraigned on July 2, and is being held on a $2 million bond. Her next court date is set for July 14.
How Investigators Say the Case Unfolded
Police were called to a home in the 1300 block of North 9th Street in Payette on May 1, 2025, where officers found the 18-month-old twins unresponsive in a shared bed. Authorities treated the deaths as suspicious from the outset, according to local reporting. The Payette Police Department posted a notice about the investigation at the time and has since said it will not comment further while the matter is in court, according to the Idaho Statesman.
Indictment Alleges Suffocation
Court records and reporting describe a two-page indictment that accuses Shaw of suffocating the twins and lists several witnesses who testified before the grand jury, per The Associated Press. Local coverage of the arraignment notes that a first-degree murder conviction carries the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty, and that a magistrate set Shaw’s bond at $2 million based on information presented in court.
Vaccine Claims and a Federal Filing
Shortly after the twins died, Shaw and her husband appeared on an internet program produced by Children’s Health Defense, where they linked the deaths to routine vaccinations. Shaw is also listed as a plaintiff in a federal complaint filed in January that challenges pediatric vaccine policy.
The complaint, filed in Washington, D.C., alleges the twins received hepatitis A, influenza and DTaP vaccinations on April 23, 2025, and were treated at St. Luke’s the next day. Those details come from the civil filing itself. See the plaintiffs’ version of events in the federal court complaint and coverage of the case from CBS News.
Defense Responds
Shaw’s attorney, Joseph Filicetti, has told local reporters that his client denies any wrongdoing and that medical experts he consulted believe the twins’ deaths were vaccine-related, according to local coverage. Filicetti has also said Shaw delivered another baby on June 25 and that he plans to request additional pretrial hearings on bond and other conditions. The newborn is reported to be in the father’s care.
What’s Next
Payette police and county prosecutors have declined to comment further while the case moves through the courts, saying any new information will come out in future hearings, per local coverage. The indictment starts a criminal process that will continue with additional proceedings and pretrial motions. Shaw is presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty in a court of law.
