I-495 Crash Deemed Murder-Suicide

A woman with a history of mental illness purposely walked her young niece and nephew into oncoming traffic on Interstate 495 in Lowell last week, in a double-murder suicide, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said Friday.

Marcelle Thibault, her 5-year-old niece Kaleigh Lambert and her 4-year-old nephew, Shane Lambert, both of Brentwood, N.H., were killed on Jan. 11 when they were struck by two cars.

Thibault, 39, of Bellingham, was driving her 2003 Lincoln sedan south on the interstate when she turned the vehicle car sharply, drove across the median, crossed the northbound lanes and then began driving against traffic in the breakdown lane, authorities said.

She then stopped on the right side of the road, got out of the car and removed all her clothes and undressed the children.

She then took both children into her arms and walked onto the highway.

"We believe that Ms. Thibault took her niece and nephew and walked with them into oncoming traffic on Route 495, tragically resulting in the deaths of the two young children while taking her own life in the process,'' District Attorney Gerry Leone said in a statement.

A call made Friday to a spokesman for the family was not answered and his voice mail was full.

The family pleaded for prayers and privacy in a statement released through the district attorney's office.

"This is a time of terrible tragedy for our families. We love Marci, Kaleigh, and Shane and we miss them very much,'' the statement said. "We ask everyone to join us in prayer for their souls, and to help us get through this most difficult period of our lives. We ask that the media respect our privacy and allow us the time to grieve and heal as we mourn our great loss.''