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Psychologist Wash. Mom Murders Twin 7-Year-Old Daughters While They Slept Before Killing Herself

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Two twin girls are dead after their mother shot them in their sleep before turning the gun on herself.

On Saturday afternoon, Whatcom County deputies responded to a welfare check at a Sudden Valley home. A roommate at the multi-level residence had reported finding his landlord, Michele Boudreau Deegan, and her two daughters dead in an upstairs bedroom, according to a sheriff's office press release.

Authorities determined that on Friday evening, Deegan, 55, shot her twin 7-year-old daughters while they were sleeping before killing herself.

According to investigators, Deegan had been involved in a custody dispute over the twins. The dispute appears to be the primary motive behind the violence, authorities believe.

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Deegan was a psychologist, according to her website. On the day of her daughters's death, she shared an article titled "Narcissistic Parents Are Literally Incapable Of Loving Their Children" on her professional Facebook page.

A neighbor told local station KIRO 7 the twins were rarely seen outside. One person who knew the family said people were concerned about the girls. The person, who said Deegan was very troubled, said she had contacted child welfare authorities prior to the violence.