An Arizona mother who killed her two daughters in 2021 was found dead in her prison cell last month.
The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, & Reentry (ADCRR) confirmed that Retta Cruse, 38, died on February 21, 2025, from “an apparent act of self-harm by hanging.”
“Prison staff found Cruse unresponsive in her housing unit on February 21, 2025, and immediately attempted life-saving measures until paramedics arrived,” the ADCRR statement said. “Medical staff and paramedics later pronounced Cruse deceased.”
Cruse was taken into ADCRR custody in 2022 after being sentenced for two counts of first-degree murder. She was being held at ASPC-Perryville in Goodyear, Arizona.
“All inmate deaths are investigated with the involvement of the county medical examiner’s office,” the statement added.
Arizona Mother Had Killed Her Two Daughters with Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications
According to ABC 15 Arizona, in September 2021, a man found his two daughters dead in his Phoenix-area apartment. When officers arrived, they discovered Aleyah, 9, and Royal, 4, unresponsive in a bed.
Cruse was found barricaded in a bedroom with multiple self-inflicted knife wounds.
Investigators determined that Cruse had intentionally killed her daughters using a combination of prescription and over-the-counter medications.
After receiving medical treatment, Cruse was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. She later pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2022.
A GoFundMe set up to cover the children’s funeral costs mentioned that Cruse had recently moved her family to Arizona for “spiritual reasons.” It also stated that Cruse had lost a “bitter” custody battle over Aleyah shortly before the murders.
Cruse confessed to the killings, saying the custody battle was the reason behind her actions.
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