PHOENIX — Warning: The following article contains information detailing violence committed against young children.
Newly-released medical examiner reports reveal how a Valley mother and her three young children were killed last November in their Phoenix home.
Marla Hudgens, 40, was found deceased on Nov. 16, 2022 at the family's home near 7th and Northern avenues. The mother's 3-year-old son and 5-month-old twin daughters were also found in the home deceased.
Police had not disclosed how the family died but records recently released by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office reveal new details about the violent incident.
The mother and her three children -- Christopher, Gwen, and Faye -- all sustained stab wounds to either their head, neck, or torso, according to the reports. Marla additionally had blunt-force injuries observed on her head, neck, and legs.
The cause of death for all four victims is listed as "multiple sharp force injuries."
Marla's husband, 44-year-old Jasen Hudgens, is suspected of killing the family before shooting himself in the head with a rifle.
Marla's friends have previously told 12News that she was reportedly planning to divorce her husband before she was murdered.
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