A 68-year-old Kissimmee woman is facing attempted murder charges after deputies say she intentionally overdosed her two adult sons, both of whom are severely autistic, in a bid to kill them and herself. Marilyn Elise Therrell was arrested following the Sept. 8 incident at a home on Indian Ridge Trail South, according to investigators.
Deputies responded to the home that day after Therrell and her sons, ages 30 and 32, showed signs of a drug overdose, as reported by WESH. All three were taken to Celebration Hospital for treatment. Per the sheriff's office, Therrell later admitted that she had intentionally given her sons an overdose of medication in an attempt to kill them.
Charges Filed After Admission to Investigators
Therrell now faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated abuse of a disabled adult, the station's report states. An Osceola County Corrections record for Therrell lists two entries under offense code 825.102-1, which the Osceola County Corrections database describes as abuse of an elderly or disabled adult. She was booked into the Osceola County Jail, according to the same account.
Detectives say Therrell described caring for her two adult sons, both described by deputies as severely autistic, as having become more difficult since her husband died last year. That detail, attributed to detectives in the original report, offers the only stated context investigators have provided so far for what led to the overdose.
Investigation Remains Ongoing
Osceola County Sheriff's Office detectives reported that Therrell gave medication to herself and her sons with the goal of causing a deadly overdose, per the sheriff's office. The investigation into the case is ongoing, and no additional details about the medication involved, the sons' current condition, or a possible bond hearing have been released.
