New Zealand jury finds mom guilty of murdering her 3 young daughters

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand jury has found a mother guilty of murdering her three young daughters after rejecting her defense that she was so mentally ill at the time she couldn’t be held responsible. Lauren Dickason, 42, had earlier admitted killing her 2-year-old twin daughters Maya and Karla, and their 6-year-old sister Lianè, at their home in the town of Timaru nearly two years ago. She pleaded not guilty to murder, arguing she was suffering severe depression that could be traced back to postpartum depression. Prosecutors acknowledged Dickason had suffered from depression but said it wasn’t enough to warrant a medical defense, saying she killed her children out of anger and resentment.