A woman from Arizona who was convicted of killing her two young daughters has died by suicide in prison. Retta Cruse, 38, was found unresponsive in her cell at Perryville Prison on February 21. According to officials, she died from what appeared to be self-inflicted harm by hanging.
Prison staff tried to save her life and paramedics were called in, but it was too late. Cruse was pronounced dead at the scene.
Cruse had been serving time since 2022 after being sentenced for the murder of her two daughters, 9-year-old Aleyah and 4-year-old Royal. The tragic incident happened on September 8, 2021, when police responded to a call from a man who said his children were dead at his home in Phoenix.
When officers arrived at the apartment, they found the two girls unresponsive in bed. Cruse was discovered in another room, barricaded inside with self-inflicted knife wounds. Investigators later determined she had given her daughters prescription and over-the-counter drugs to sedate and overdose them.
After being treated for her injuries, Cruse was arrested on September 14, 2021, and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. She pleaded guilty in 2022 and was sentenced the same year.
Originally from New Jersey, Cruse had moved to Arizona with her family, reportedly for “spiritual reasons.” At the time of the murders, she was said to be struggling with the aftermath of a bitter custody battle over her older daughter, Aleyah. Court documents revealed that Cruse admitted to the killings, saying the custody dispute was her motivation.
This heartbreaking case has left many shaken, and the investigation into Cruse’s death in prison is ongoing.
