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CRIME

Phoenix mother will spend life in prison for murdering daughters

A Phoenix mother was sentenced Friday to two life-prison sentences for killing her two young children with prescription drugs.

Retta Cruse, 36, had pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the September 2021 killings.

Under the plea agreement, Cruse will serve two consecutive natural-life sentences in the Arizona Department of Corrections, ensuring she will not be eligible for release from prison in her lifetime, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

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CRIME

Phoenix mother will spend life in prison for murdering daughters

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A Phoenix mother was sentenced Friday to two life-prison sentences for killing her two young children with prescription drugs.

Retta Cruse, 36, had pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the September 2021 killings.

Under the plea agreement, Cruse will serve two consecutive natural-life sentences in the Arizona Department of Corrections, ensuring she will not be eligible for release from prison in her lifetime, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

“The very person who was supposed to care for these victims was the one who callously caused their deaths.

"This office is committed to ensuring justice for the most vulnerable in society and the killing of two young children at the hands of their mother is an unspeakable act,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell stated in a release.

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