BEDFORD, IN – A southern Indiana mother is facing a lifelong prison sentence after admitting to drowning her two young children in the bathtub, telling authorities she wanted to “send them to heaven.”
Brittany Medina, 35, formally pleaded guilty but mentally ill to two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, according to court documents. The charges stem from the shocking deaths of her 3-year-old son, Jackson Shelton, and 1-year-old daughter, Madelyn Shelton, in September 2023.
A Lawrence County judge accepted Medina’s plea on Wednesday but is withholding final judgment until her sentencing, which has been scheduled for Oct. 23. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors are expected to dismiss two counts of murder, contingent on the judge’s approval. Medina remains held as the court awaits completion of a pre-sentence investigation report.
The case first came to light when Medina turned herself in at the Lawrence County Jail last September. She arrived at the jail just before 5 p.m. and calmly informed deputies that she had killed her children at her home on West Brook Street. Responding officers entered the residence later that evening and found both children unresponsive in the bathroom adjacent to Medina’s bedroom.
Law enforcement records indicate Medina immediately confessed. She provided officers with details about how she filled the tub and held both children underwater by their necks, admitting that she “ended up drowning them.” Medina reportedly told authorities she performed the acts after hearing voices, which she claimed urged her to “send her children to heaven today” or else face dire consequences.
The investigation revealed that Medina had used several drugs the night before her children’s deaths, including Xanax, a suboxone strip, and cocaine. After Medina’s boyfriend left early for work, she described making breakfast and turning on cartoons for the children before the tragic events unfolded later that day.
Court documents detail that Medina kissed and told the children she loved them before forcing them under water. Afterwards, she changed into dry clothes, checked to ensure the water in the bathtub had gone still, and then drove directly to the sheriff’s department to confess.
The children were found dressed as Medina had described — Jackson without clothes and Madelyn in a flowered onesie. The official investigation timeline indicates police entered the home at approximately 7 p.m., two hours after Medina reported the incident.
The outcome of Medina’s sentencing will largely determine whether she spends the remainder of her life behind bars. The court’s acceptance of the guilty but mentally ill plea means she will receive treatment as well as serve a lengthy prison term.
No further details have been released by authorities regarding Medina’s mental health evaluation or whether additional family members were present at the time of the incident. The case has drawn local attention and renewed discussions about mental health and substance abuse resources in the community.