'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABeAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACBAAAQMFAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgEEBgADBREhExIBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURAAICAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAxEABBITFDH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AEwzUgjc3kMQw+RJoWVt2Gdx/wDHoaC8coJmoEuiNPTi1XDyazVo7cNwyLVRs3TAVVp1UFdd0VKUepPK4s0CcaljTr6Ztot47Y17RIz/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
37-year-old Veronica Youngblood was found guilty of murdering her daughters Brooklynn Youngblood (5), and Sharon Castro (15) on August 5, 2008. She was accused of giving sleeping pill gummies to her children before fatally shooting them. Veronica Youngblood pleaded not guilty, stating she was mentally ill.
After the shooting, Youngblood reportedly called her ex-husband, Ron Youngblood, and admitted to killing the children. It was discovered that the Virginia woman committed this heinous crime to get back at her former partner and that it was part of a revenge plot against him.
During the trial, Veronica Youngblood was described as being a “malicious, selfish, and deliberate killer.” Authorities further added that Ron was expected to move to Missouri with the younger daughter, Brooklynn.
Virginia mom Veronica Youngblood planned a disturbing revenge plot against her ex-husband by killing her daughters
The horrific incident took place on August 5, 2018, in McLean, in the northern part of Virginia, at the residence of 37-year-old Veronica Youngblood. The mother-of-two reportedly shot her daughters Sharon and Brooklynn after giving them sleeping pill gummies. 15-year-old Sharon was able to call 911 after getting shot and stated that her mum had shot the children at their 1519 Lincoln Circle home, as per the New York Post.
Veronica was charged in connection with the two murders. However, she pleaded not guilty and used insanity as an excuse. The jury was not convinced by the defense, and they believed that insanity wasn’t a major contributing factor in the killings. On Wednesday, the jury convicted Youngblood for the slayings as they found her guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony firearm use.
According to defense attorneys, Veronica, a former s*x worker, faced s*xual and physical abuse from her family. However, according to Fairfax County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Kelsey Gill, Veronica Youngblood was a “selfish and deliberate killer.”
It was also discovered that after the shooting, she called her former partner Ron and stated that she’d shot the girls. She reportedly wanted to get back at him, and the killings were part of her unsettling revenge plot. Attorney Gill further mentioned that Veronica purchased a handgun around nine days before the slayings. According to the New York Post, during the closing arguments, Kelsey continued:
“This case goes well beyond merely having a mental illness. This goes well beyond depression. This goes well beyond PTSD. This goes well beyond being suicidal.”
A bullet struck Veronica’s younger daughter, Brooklynn, in the head and she died at the scene. 15-year-old Sharon was shot once in the back and then in the chest. Sharon lived long enough that she could make the 911 call and was rushed to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
According to Fairfax County public defender Dawn Butorac, Youngblood is Argentinian-born and also had a daughter when she was just 16 years old. Butorac further added that the Virginia mother was also hearing voices. It was further revealed that Youngblood was a follower of a South American religion that believed that they could establish communication with the dead. The same was also mentioned by Veronica’s sister Maira Kaczuba.
The double murder trial lasted for two weeks and the verdict came in a day
As per the publication, public defender Butorac stated:
“I don’t live in a world where there is black or white. I live in a world where there are a lot of shades of gray. And that’s what we’re seeing here.”
Prosecutors, however, negated the defense of insanity, and claimed that she was acting “disingenuously.” Prosecutor Claiborne Richardson said:
“This person wants to manipulate, this person wants to lie, ensue chaos, all for this person’s personal gain. Ms. Youngblood is spiteful, selfish, vengeful, and calculated.”
He further added:
“Show this defendant that every choice has a consequence and that this is not the place to try to lie and manipulate you fine jurors.”
Prosecutors claimed that Veronica Youngblood methodically planned the murders since she bought the firearm and also gave the drugged gummies to her daughters so that they couldn’t defend themselves at all. It was revealed that Ron and Veronica met when she was involved in s*x work, and the couple tied the knot back in 2009.
Veronica Youngblood later admitted to the investigating officers and was recorded on tape saying that she killed the girls and that she also deserved the death penalty. Despite that, she pleaded not guilty. During the trial, the jury also found her guilty of two counts of felony firearm use.
The jury took a day to announce the verdict for the trial, which lasted two weeks. Fairfax County Judge Randy Bellows gave the verdict. The jurors heard testimonies from several individuals including Veronica’s sister, ex-husband Ron, and ex-boyfriend.
