MISSOULA — Leannah Gardipe of Missoula is facing murder charges for the deaths of her two young children. Gardipe, 34 years old, is accused of killing them with a knife at their Missoula home on Friday, November 19, 2021.
She is charged with deliberate homicide for the deaths of her 3-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son.
Missoula County Sheriff's deputies responded to the home on Patty Ann Drive Friday just after 8 a.m. for a report of a homicide.
In charging documents, Gardipe's mother called 911 to report that her daughter had called her and that Gardipe said she "saved her babies."
She asked the defendant if that meant she had killed her children and the defendant began crying.
A few minutes later, Gardipe called 911 and said she "want(ed) to report a murder.
Gardipe told 911 that the event happened that morning and that it was done with a knife.
The defendant asked to send medical personnel. According to court documents, Gardipe told 911: "I was supposed to die today."
Sheriff's deputies found the children in their beds with knife wounds and defensive marks on their hands.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the home, and found a note at the threshold of the bedroom where the children were found that read " [i]t was the only way that we all wouldn't burn, now I'm the only one of us that will."
Deputies recovered the knife underneath the bed. Gardipe is currently being held in the Missoula County Detention Center.
A GoFundMe account has been created to help the father of the children with burial expenses:
