Texas Mom Tells 911 She Killed Children
Mother Says She Initially Tried To Poison Kids
TERRY WALLACE, Associated Press Writer


DALLAS -- A suburban Dallas woman accused of killing her two young children told a 911 operator that she first tried to poison them because they were autistic and she wanted "normal kids," then choked them with a wire until they stopped moving, according to the recorded call.

Irving police on Wednesday released recordings of the 911 call after Saiqa Akhter was charged with capital murder in the death of her 5-year-old son, Zain Akhter. Police said the children were attacked at the family's apartment Monday night.

Another capital murder charge is pending in the slaying of her 2-year-old daughter, Faryaal Akhter, who died Tuesday night, police spokesman David Tull said.

In the recording released Wednesday, the woman identified herself as Saiqa Akhter and repeatedly told the operator she killed her two children. At one point, the woman hung up and the dispatcher called her back.

"I killed both of them. I told you," she told the operator. Later, she explained that both children were lying motionless on the bed in the master bedroom.

"They are not doing anything. They are just blue and they are not taking any breaths and ... their heart is not beating," she said.

She told the operator she initially tried to poison the children with bathroom cleaner but they refused to drink it. When that didn't work, "I used a wire on their necks," she said.

When the operator asked the woman why she attacked her children, she said, "They're both not normal, not normal. They're autistic. Both are autistic." Pressed further, she said, "I don't want my children to be like that. ... I want normal kids."

Later, the dispatcher asked the woman what she was feeling. "Nothing," she responded.

At one point, water could be heard running in the background and the dispatcher asked what the woman what she was doing. She told the operator she was trying to wash the smell of cleaner off of her hands. The dispatcher then told the woman to go sit on a couch in the living room and wait for police.

At the end of the recording, police can be heard arriving at the home.

Akhter has requested a court-appointed attorney but one hasn't been assigned to her case yet, an Irving jail official said. If convicted of capital murder, Akhter could face the death penalty, though prosecutors have not said if they will seek that punishment. Otherwise, she could face life in prison without parole.

Saiqa Akhter's uncle, Wasimul Haque, told The Dallas Morning News his niece had been depressed since moving into a new apartment in Irving. Haque said Zain had autism and a severe speech impediment but had been improving and was in speech therapy.

The children's father, Rashid Akhter, emigrated from Pakistan in the late 1990s, the newspaper reported. He married Saiqa, who also is from Pakistan, several years later, it said.

Zain was buried Wednesday in Richardson, another Dallas suburb. Faryaal's funeral is scheduled for Thursday.

I saw that on the local news.

the question is were is this world going to? People keep snapping in such ways, kill your self if you want to, but is it necessary to take the life of your family and children? really!!

i feel you....there is just no love in the world anymore.

Yes there is...there is MUCH love in the world!

I feel for the entire family,,,how tragic a thing to have happen at a mothers hands,,,

I agree there is still sooooo much love in the world but that just isn't newsworthy.

These types of horrific incidents have been going on since the beginning of time. We just hear about it more with 24/7 news coverage and the fact there are just a heck of a lot more of us on this planet. The more people we have here, the more news like this makes the pages.

But there IS still more love than hate in the world. The problem is that too many people do not know how to express love so they prefer to criticize everything instead. It is a whole lot easier just to dismiss something or criticize everything, then it is to show joy, acceptance or love. I see it all too often.

So sad