Mother found two young children and their father dead at handover
A mother discovered her two children and their father dead when she arrived for a custody handover at a home in Cocoa, Florida, police said. Authorities believe the father killed the children and then himself; the circumstances remain under investigation.
The mother, Olivia Piccolo, 29, called 911 at about 12.40pm on Wednesday after entering through an ajar front door. She had tried to contact the children’s father, Joseph Dingwall, because it was her day to have them, but he did not respond. Their son Remy was seven and their daughter Aria was five.
- A mother found her two children and their father dead during a custody handover.
- Police believe the father killed the children and then himself.
- The children were aged seven and five.
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Custody handovers occur when separated parents exchange care of their children according to an agreed arrangement or court order. These are routine events designed to facilitate access to children following family breakdown. This incident involves such a scheduled handover in Cocoa, Florida.
Olivia Piccolo, 29, arrived at a home on Wednesday afternoon to collect her two children from their father, Joseph Dingwall. Her son Remy was seven years old and her daughter Aria was five. When Ms Piccolo entered the property through an unlocked front door at approximately 12.40pm, she discovered all three dead inside.
Police are investigating the circumstances of their deaths. Authorities currently believe Dingwall killed both children before taking his own life, though the full circumstances remain under investigation.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Mom arrived for custody handover to discover ex had killed their daughter, 5, son, 7, and himself”.