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'The mom had already killed the baby' | 911 caller says children jumped out window to escape 'chaos,' Paulding Co. fire

The sheriff's office said seven children were inside the house on Woodwind Drive when Darlene began attacking the children.

PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A mom is being held without bond after the Paulding County Sheriff's office said she attacked her children and set her home on fire Friday night.

Darlene Brister went before a judge on Monday, facing charges of malice murder. A chilling 911 call reveals details about what happened that night.

“The mom had already killed the baby; from what I understand, the mom had killed the infant and is trying to kill the other children," a neighbor said on a 911 call. "They just jumped out the window escaping in the chaos.” 

The sheriff's office said seven children were inside the house on Woodwind Drive when Darlene began attacking the children. A 9-month-old baby was killed, along with a 3 and 5-year-old. Two older children were also hurt but survived.

In addition to malice murder, Paulding County District Attorney's Office said she could be facing additional charges of arson and cruelty to children.

Credit: Paulding County Sheriff

Her husband, Ricky Brister, told 11Alive over the weekend his wife was battling mental health issues. And while he’s grieving the loss of their children, he’s still concerned about his wife and her well-being.

“Do I love her? Yes,"  he said. "Do I forgive her? Yes. I’m gonna still give her the love of Christ that any man should.”

Credit: WXIA
Ricky Brister

Ricky said their 9-year-old son is still in the hospital but is expected to survive. 

His wife is expected to be back in court on Wednesday to face the additional charges.

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