North Dakota Mother Accused of Killing Two Children After Telling Their Father to ‘Say Goodbye’

Two young children are dead, and their surviving brother is recovering after an alleged knife attack by their mother in Mandan, North Dakota.

Kailey Erhart, 22, faces two murder charges and an attempted-murder charge stemming from the August 6 attack. Investigators say a video recovered from the children’s father’s phone captured her telling him, “Say goodbye to your kids.”

A five-month-old and a three-year-old died. Their one-year-old brother, Colton, survived surgery, and his family later shared a hopeful update on his recovery.

In this video from the original August 7 briefing, Mandan’s police chief described the officers’ response and the toll the scene took on them:

"Nobody should ever have to see": Mandan police chief describes home incident that killed two children.

Read more: https://t.co/FazdIX8vkK pic.twitter.com/BbBZHBhDR9

— KX News (@KXMB) August 8, 2026

The allegations also raise a painful question: what happened after the children’s father reported earlier threats against them?

Valley News Live obtained the police affidavit and reported that the couple had been separating. Its account describes earlier warnings about the children’s safety, as well as a recording recovered during the investigation.

The father told investigators he had previously alerted mental health services that Erhart had threatened to harm herself and the children. The affidavit says Child Protective Services had been informed, too.

Erhart had been committed to a mental health facility within the preceding 12 to 18 months. According to the affidavit, she was taking medication and had been cleared to be with the children.

Investigators also described video showing Erhart carrying a child while holding a pistol at her hip. The reported warning to the father came during that recording.

Those allegations deserve answers. They do not, on their own, establish what individual providers or child-protection workers knew, when they knew it, or what decisions they made.

The father’s account of earlier threats also appears in the August 26 coverage shared by Forum Communications journalist Steve Wagner:

The children's father, Cameron Erhart, who was at the scene, told police that Erhart had made comments in the past about killing herself and the children. https://t.co/Ry9kgiHYQ2

— Steve Wagner (@Swagn_Trails) August 26, 2026

WDAY Radio described the confrontation and the officers’ arrival, citing court records:

The father said he took the handgun away from Erhart, disassembled it and scattered its pieces inside the home. Investigators say she then chased him and the children’s grandmother outside with a knife and locked them out.

Responding officers encountered the two adults in the front yard. Inside the home, Erhart dropped a kitchen knife she had been holding to her own throat and was taken into custody.

The children were found in a bedroom with neck injuries; the youngest died that evening and the three-year-old died after midnight. WDAY reported that Erhart later acknowledged chasing the adults outside and holding the knife when officers arrived, but said she did not remember everything that had happened.

WDAY’s account of the charges and police response is linked in this August 28 post:

Mandan woman charged with killing two children, injuring another https://t.co/YEXlHQx56W

— 107 Fan☘️ (@AMJacob127535) August 28, 2026

KFYR-TV reported that District Judge Marina Spahr set a $3 million cash bond at Erhart’s initial appearance. The hearing took place at the Morton County Courthouse on August 7, the day after police responded to the home.

The judge cited the violence alleged in the case and the danger to the community and victims. Erhart was also ordered not to contact the surviving victims.

Nine charges were reported in total: two counts of murder, attempted murder, two counts of terrorizing with a dangerous weapon, three counts of aggravated assault and misdemeanor domestic violence.

KFYR reported that Erhart had not entered a plea at that appearance and that her preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 6. The accusations have not been proven at trial.

In a later development, Valley News Live carried KMOT’s August 19 report that Judge Spahr had approved a joint request from prosecutors and the defense to restrict the public release of evidence until the case is resolved.

The restriction covers videos, photographs and documents made or obtained during the investigation. The parties cited the need for a fair trial, concerns about influencing potential jurors, and the victims’ privacy.

That report said Erhart remained in custody on the $3 million bond, with her preliminary hearing and arraignment set for October 6. It also reported that the surviving child was expected to make a full recovery.

For the family, there has been one welcome development amid the loss.

In an August 13 report, Valley News Live shared the family’s update on Colton. His grandmother, Melissa Erhart, is also organizing support through the family’s GoFundMe for her son, Cameron Erhart, and the surviving child.

Colton’s surgery had gone well, and the family said doctors expected a full physical recovery. They also described seeing him smile again, a moment of relief after losing his two siblings.

That was a family account of his progress at the time, not a statement that his treatment was finished.

The fundraiser says the money will help cover funerals, medical bills, therapy, ongoing care, housing needs and cleaning support. Melissa describes a family trying to care for the surviving child while grieving the two children they lost.