Cause of Death for Mom and 3-Year-Old Daughter Found in an Alabama River Determined to Be a Murder-Suicide

Authorities say a Mississippi mother and her 3-year-old daughter, whose bodies were found days apart in an Alabama river area earlier this year, died in a murder-suicide.

Shardee McGill, 32, and her daughter, Janae, were reported missing on Sept. 22 by Shardee’s husband, Jonathan McGill, who is also Janae’s father. Shardee’s body was later found on Sept. 25, and Janae’s body was recovered the following day, Sept. 26.

Sgt. Reginal King of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said investigators determined that both deaths were caused by drowning, according to WJTV, WBRC and AL.com. Authorities ruled Shardee’s death a suicide and Janae’s death a homicide, with Shardee identified as the suspect, the outlets reported.

“Over the course of the investigation, the determination has been made that there are no additional suspects involved,” King said, according to AL.com.

At the time the pair disappeared, Jackson, Mississippi police said Shardee and Janae left their home in a Chevrolet Equinox and did not return. They were later entered into the National Crime Information database as missing persons.

Shardee’s body was discovered in shallow water off the Tombigbee River, Sumter County Coroner Sonya Jemison confirmed to AL.com at the time. Janae’s body was found nearby the next day, not far from where her mother was located.

In a Facebook update at the time, the sheriff’s office said the missing-person alert for Janae had been canceled after a body was located in an area close to where Shardee had been found. Authorities later confirmed the body was Janae’s.

Police also said that Jonathan McGill was detained for questioning after traveling to Alabama, but was released shortly afterward.

Officials emphasized that the case did not appear to involve an abduction. “This young lady left the residence with her mother,” authorities said. “It wasn’t a situation where there was a kidnapping or a custodial kidnapping.”