Brooklyn Mother Sentenced To Decades For Drowning Three Children
Erin Merdy was sentenced Wednesday in Brooklyn to decades in prison for drowning her three children in the ocean near Coney Island.[1]
Merdy pleaded guilty earlier in 2026 to first-degree murder in the case.[1] Prosecutors said surveillance footage showed her walking toward the water with the children shortly before 1 a.m.[1] Their bodies were recovered along the shoreline.[1]
On September 12, 2022, the three children, ages 7, 4 and 3 months, were drowned in the Atlantic Ocean off Coney Island.[1] The medical examiner ruled the deaths homicides by drowning.[1] Police later found Merdy barefoot and soaking wet about two miles from where the children's bodies were discovered.[1]
Show source details & analysis (1 source)
📌 Key Facts
- On Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Erin Merdy was sentenced in Brooklyn to decades in prison.
- Merdy pleaded guilty earlier in 2026 to first-degree murder in the deaths of her three children.
- The children, ages 7, 4 and 3 months, were drowned in the Atlantic Ocean off Coney Island on September 12, 2022.
- Surveillance video showed Merdy walking toward the ocean with the children shortly before 1 a.m., and the medical examiner ruled the deaths homicides by drowning.
- Police found Merdy barefoot and soaking wet about two miles from where the children's bodies were discovered along the shoreline.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time