Topline: Authorities said a handwritten note addressed to the children’s father was recovered during the investigation into the deaths of two young brothers in Hillsborough, New Jersey.
Published: January 15, 2026 8:36 am ET
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Priyatharsini Natarajan (via Somerset County Prosecutor's Office)
HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Prosecutors have charged a New Jersey mother with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her 5- and 7-year-old sons.
Somerset County authorities said Hillsborough Township police were dispatched to a residence on Shell Court at about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday after receiving the emergency call from an adult male resident who reported that he had just arrived home from work and found his children unconscious. The caller told dispatchers that his wife “did something to them,” prosecutors said.
When officers entered the home, they encountered the caller and his wife, identified by authorities as Priyatharsini Natarajan, 35, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. Police located the two children—both boys, ages 5 and 7—inside a bedroom, prosecutors said. Despite lifesaving efforts by responding officers and medical personnel, the children were pronounced dead at the scene.
The identities of the boys have not yet been released, pending positive identification by the medical examiner, according to the prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors said a postmortem examination will be conducted by the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause and manner of death.
Authorities said their investigation has determined that Natarajan caused the deaths of her two children. She was detained at the scene and transported to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, according to officials.
Natarajan was later arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, prosecutors said. She is being held at the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing. Prosecutors said the investigation remains ongoing and that no additional information would be released at this time.
According to court documents cited by NJ.com, the children’s father told police that before he discovered his sons were deceased, Natarajan confessed to him that she had killed them. Investigators also said they recovered a handwritten note addressed to the children’s father in which Natarajan wrote that she planned to kill the children and herself. Police further reported finding “multiple ligature materials” inside the home, and investigators said the children appeared to have been strangled. No motive has been disclosed.
The case is being investigated by the Hillsborough Township Police Department, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and medical investigators from the Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office, according to prosecutors.
The deaths have sent shockwaves through the Hillsborough community, particularly at Sunnymead Elementary School, where the two boys were students. Hillsborough Township School District Superintendent Mike Volpe called the incident an “unfathomable loss,” according to CBS News.
“There are no words to adequately capture the weight of this tragedy, and our hearts are with the families and the entire Sunnymead community as they grieve,” Volpe said.
Volpe said crisis response teams and additional counseling services were made available at the school Wednesday and will remain on site as long as needed. He said educators are focused on providing students with a sense of safety and support in the wake of the tragedy.
“While the sadness is profound, I was deeply moved by the character of our staff,” Volpe said. “Tragedy often reveals the true heart of an organization, and today, I saw a leadership team and faculty focused entirely on the well-being of our children.”
Neighbors in the Shell Court community told NJ.com they were stunned by the heavy police presence and the news of the children’s deaths. One neighbor said it was impossible to imagine such violence occurring in what residents described as a quiet, family-oriented neighborhood.
Prosecutors and police are asking anyone with information related to the investigation to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at (908) 231-7100 or the Hillsborough Township Police Department at (908) 369-4323. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the STOPit app or the Somerset County Tips Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477), authorities said.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Prosecutors: NJ Mother Left Note to Husband Before Killing Two Young Sons
Authorities said a handwritten note addressed to the children’s father was recovered during the investigation into the deaths of two young brothers in Hillsborough, New Jersey.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 15, 2026 8:36 am ET
Priyatharsini Natarajan (via Somerset County Prosecutor's Office)
HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Prosecutors have charged a New Jersey mother with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her 5- and 7-year-old sons.
Somerset County authorities said Hillsborough Township police were dispatched to a residence on Shell Court at about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday after receiving the emergency call from an adult male resident who reported that he had just arrived home from work and found his children unconscious. The caller told dispatchers that his wife “did something to them,” prosecutors said.
When officers entered the home, they encountered the caller and his wife, identified by authorities as Priyatharsini Natarajan, 35, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. Police located the two children—both boys, ages 5 and 7—inside a bedroom, prosecutors said. Despite lifesaving efforts by responding officers and medical personnel, the children were pronounced dead at the scene.
The identities of the boys have not yet been released, pending positive identification by the medical examiner, according to the prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors said a postmortem examination will be conducted by the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause and manner of death.
Authorities said their investigation has determined that Natarajan caused the deaths of her two children. She was detained at the scene and transported to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, according to officials.
Natarajan was later arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, prosecutors said. She is being held at the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing. Prosecutors said the investigation remains ongoing and that no additional information would be released at this time.
According to court documents cited by NJ.com, the children’s father told police that before he discovered his sons were deceased, Natarajan confessed to him that she had killed them. Investigators also said they recovered a handwritten note addressed to the children’s father in which Natarajan wrote that she planned to kill the children and herself. Police further reported finding “multiple ligature materials” inside the home, and investigators said the children appeared to have been strangled. No motive has been disclosed.
The case is being investigated by the Hillsborough Township Police Department, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and medical investigators from the Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office, according to prosecutors.
The deaths have sent shockwaves through the Hillsborough community, particularly at Sunnymead Elementary School, where the two boys were students. Hillsborough Township School District Superintendent Mike Volpe called the incident an “unfathomable loss,” according to CBS News.
“There are no words to adequately capture the weight of this tragedy, and our hearts are with the families and the entire Sunnymead community as they grieve,” Volpe said.
Volpe said crisis response teams and additional counseling services were made available at the school Wednesday and will remain on site as long as needed. He said educators are focused on providing students with a sense of safety and support in the wake of the tragedy.
“While the sadness is profound, I was deeply moved by the character of our staff,” Volpe said. “Tragedy often reveals the true heart of an organization, and today, I saw a leadership team and faculty focused entirely on the well-being of our children.”
Neighbors in the Shell Court community told NJ.com they were stunned by the heavy police presence and the news of the children’s deaths. One neighbor said it was impossible to imagine such violence occurring in what residents described as a quiet, family-oriented neighborhood.
Prosecutors and police are asking anyone with information related to the investigation to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at (908) 231-7100 or the Hillsborough Township Police Department at (908) 369-4323. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the STOPit app or the Somerset County Tips Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477), authorities said.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Prosecutors: NJ Mother Left Note to Husband Before Killing Two Young Sons
Authorities said a handwritten note addressed to the children’s father was recovered during the investigation into the deaths of two young brothers in Hillsborough, New Jersey.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 15, 2026 8:36 am ET
Priyatharsini Natarajan (via Somerset County Prosecutor's Office)
HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Prosecutors have charged a New Jersey mother with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her 5- and 7-year-old sons.
Somerset County authorities said Hillsborough Township police were dispatched to a residence on Shell Court at about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday after receiving the emergency call from an adult male resident who reported that he had just arrived home from work and found his children unconscious. The caller told dispatchers that his wife “did something to them,” prosecutors said.
When officers entered the home, they encountered the caller and his wife, identified by authorities as Priyatharsini Natarajan, 35, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. Police located the two children—both boys, ages 5 and 7—inside a bedroom, prosecutors said. Despite lifesaving efforts by responding officers and medical personnel, the children were pronounced dead at the scene.
The identities of the boys have not yet been released, pending positive identification by the medical examiner, according to the prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors said a postmortem examination will be conducted by the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause and manner of death.
Authorities said their investigation has determined that Natarajan caused the deaths of her two children. She was detained at the scene and transported to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, according to officials.
Natarajan was later arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, prosecutors said. She is being held at the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing. Prosecutors said the investigation remains ongoing and that no additional information would be released at this time.
According to court documents cited by NJ.com, the children’s father told police that before he discovered his sons were deceased, Natarajan confessed to him that she had killed them. Investigators also said they recovered a handwritten note addressed to the children’s father in which Natarajan wrote that she planned to kill the children and herself. Police further reported finding “multiple ligature materials” inside the home, and investigators said the children appeared to have been strangled. No motive has been disclosed.
The case is being investigated by the Hillsborough Township Police Department, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and medical investigators from the Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office, according to prosecutors.
The deaths have sent shockwaves through the Hillsborough community, particularly at Sunnymead Elementary School, where the two boys were students. Hillsborough Township School District Superintendent Mike Volpe called the incident an “unfathomable loss,” according to CBS News.
“There are no words to adequately capture the weight of this tragedy, and our hearts are with the families and the entire Sunnymead community as they grieve,” Volpe said.
Volpe said crisis response teams and additional counseling services were made available at the school Wednesday and will remain on site as long as needed. He said educators are focused on providing students with a sense of safety and support in the wake of the tragedy.
“While the sadness is profound, I was deeply moved by the character of our staff,” Volpe said. “Tragedy often reveals the true heart of an organization, and today, I saw a leadership team and faculty focused entirely on the well-being of our children.”
Neighbors in the Shell Court community told NJ.com they were stunned by the heavy police presence and the news of the children’s deaths. One neighbor said it was impossible to imagine such violence occurring in what residents described as a quiet, family-oriented neighborhood.
Prosecutors and police are asking anyone with information related to the investigation to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at (908) 231-7100 or the Hillsborough Township Police Department at (908) 369-4323. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the STOPit app or the Somerset County Tips Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477), authorities said.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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