Her third child, a 10-year-old daughter, survived and knocked on a door for help, reporting that her "family was dead."
A Michigan mother and her two children were found frozen to death over the weekend. According to authorities, the 35-year-old mom experienced a “mental health crisis.” Monica Latrice Cannady “believed someone was trying to kill her and everybody was in on it … including police,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at a Monday news conference. “Family members attempted to get her help, but she refused and she fled with the children.”
Michigan mom and 2 kids found frozen to death in park, daughter survives https://t.co/vojr5QkBfc via @nypost
— Edd Gimenez (@eddgimenez) January 18, 2023
Cannady and her sons Kyle Milton, 9, and Malik Milton, 3, were discovered on January 15, Sunday afternoon in a park in Pontiac, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said. They died of hypothermia. Cannady's third child, a 10-year-old daughter, survived and knocked on a door for help, reporting that her "family was dead," reports USA Today. The daughter is in stable condition at the hospital.
The family had been wandering the streets of Pontiac, Michigan, for nearly three days amid freezing temperatures, per NBC News. They spent Saturday knocking on doors and telling people they were hungry. Cannady refused to accept money and continued to wander the area. Cannady reportedly behaved strangely a few weeks before. At the time family members say they tried to connect Cannady with counseling or get her “committed,” but she refused help.
On Sunday, the bodies of Monica Cannady and her two sons, 9-year-old Kyle Milton and 3-year-old Malik Milton, were found frozen to death in a field in Pontiac. Officials say a mental health crisis lead to this heart-breaking discovery.
— WXYZ Detroit (@wxyzdetroit) January 17, 2023
https://t.co/H5orBwrSCO
Cannady and her three children ended up sleeping outside in a field at the site of the old Lakeside Housing Project. “The mom told them to lay down in the field. And they all did. The girl that survived woke up. No one else did,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. He added that the "mom was having a mental health crisis. She believed someone was trying to kill her." Bouchard urged people to seek help immediately during a mental health crisis and concluded the press conference by pushing for funding for mental health resources.
“Mental health is one of the largest challenges of this time,” he said. “The state and federal government needs to provide us with funding that allow us to perform more mental health services in partnership with the mental health community." He mentioned that this included having more mental health practitioners on the team that can be part of a holistic response to mental health calls.
A GoFundMe has also been set up for Cannady’s surviving daughter, who is now an orphan. The children’s father, Kyle Milton, was murdered in 2021 and his alleged killer’s trial is underway. Kyle Milton’s stepmother Theresa Milton told WXYZ said she did not know of Cannady’s mental health concerns. “She was a good mama. She took care of her babies. They were dressed warm, they had clothes always matching, hair done, they were clean.” She added that "they were loved. Very loved by their family."
“Don’t wait until it is too late and your family is wishing you had asked for the help you need.” https://t.co/IKJ42rAuRX
— TV20 Detroit (@tv20detroit) January 17, 2023
References:
https://www.wxyz.com/news/family-of-mom-children-who-froze-to-death-in-pontiac-say-they-were-loved
https://www.gofundme.com/f/k84zv7-50000
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe
