Brandi Worley made headlines for a crime that is the ultimate betrayal by a mother of her child — murder. The story of Brandi and Jason Worley and their children shocked the nation, and left many wondering what she did, and how she could do it.
The bond between mother and child is sacred. We assume that a mother will defend her child at all costs, but what happens when the mother is the one the child needs protection from? Brandi Worley is a prime example of the terrible consequences when the parent/child relationship gets turned upside down.
Who is Brandi Worley?
Indiana couple Jason and Brandi Worley seemed to have the perfect family. After a two-year-long engagement, they got married in 2009, and by 2016 had been married seven years, with two beautiful children together; Tyler, 7, and Charlee, 3. Yet by November 2016, it was clear that things behind the scenes were not as picture-perfect as they appeared. Jason Worley, a software engineer, shared his marital struggles on Reddit, hoping for some advice. The post has since been deleted, but can be read here. The title of the post read, “I’m [30/m] having a hard time coping with my wife [29/f] having cheated on me with our neighbor [51/m]”
The Reddit community understandably encouraged Jason to stand up for himself and even to divorce Brandi, which on that fateful November day, he decided to do. Jason later revealed in an interview with People that when he had asked for a divorce on November 16th, Brandi had seemed calm, and even to understand why he was asking for it. Yet Brandi’s calm demeanor would not last long, as by the end of the day, tragedy would strike.
The couple reportedly had a very normal day together. They attended their daughter’s dance recital, and then Brandi went out to pick up pipe cleaners for their son’s school project. Little did Jason know that Brandi also bought a combat knife. She returned home, and the family had dinner. Jason helped give the kids baths and get them ready for bed. It would be the last time he would ever see his children alive.
At 4:35 a.m., 911 received a horrifying call from Brandi Worley who, as reported by WTTV , calmly stated “I just stabbed myself and killed my two children, there’s blood everywhere.” When asked by the dispatcher why she had done this, she responded, “my husband wanted a divorce, and wanted to take my kids.” Brandi had stabbed her children to death with the knife she had purchased earlier in the day. She then reportedly stabbed herself in the neck, although her wounds were not fatal.
When Jason, sleeping in the basement, was awoken by the screams of his mother-in-law, he raced up the stairs to a terrible scene. He reported that Brandi, who was sitting on a chair in the kitchen, calmly turned to him and said “Now you can’t take the kids from me.”
Where is Brandi Worley now?
Worley was arrested and at age 31, initially pleaded “not guilty,” hoping to pursue an insanity defense, but eventually changed her plea to guilty. She was reportedly very matter-of-fact about her crimes, and struck many, including the judge, as unremorseful. According to Journal and Courier, Judge Harry Siamas stated that while everyone wants an explanation, “Sometimes there is no explanation [for murder]. Darkness is in this world… And it penetrates minds and our hearts.”
Worley was sentenced to 120 years for the murder of her two children. When asked during sentencing if she had anything to say, she refused both times. The Worleys’ divorce was finalized in 2017. Brandi Worley is currently being held at the Indiana Women’s Prison, and she has never revealed further information on the murders, or her motive. She has also never publicly expressed remorse for her crimes. Worley now joins the headlines of similar cases such as Lori Vallow and Casey Anthony, other mothers accused of murdering their own children.
The loss of a child is a terrible tragedy. The loss of a child at the hands of their own mother is a crime almost too heinous to be believed. Brandi Worley now sits behind bars with only the memories of her former life to keep her company. Her children, husband, and the life she once knew are now gone, all by her own hands.