Erin Merdy drowned her three children—7-year-old Zachary, 4-year-old Liliana, and 3-month-old Oliver—in the Atlantic Ocean near Coney Island, Brooklyn, on September 12, 2022 [1, 2]. The children’s bodies were found along the shore near the boardwalk just hours later [1, 2]. Merdy was discovered barefoot and soaking wet about two miles from where the children were found. She was reportedly repeating "the children were gone" and apologizing [1, 2].
At the time of the incident, Merdy was either 30 or 34 years old according to different reports [1, 2]. She faced mental health challenges including bipolar disorder and possible postpartum depression [1, 2]. Prior to the deaths, she was involved in a custody dispute and faced eviction due to unpaid rent, raising fears she might become homeless [1]. City child services had found evidence indicating neglect or abuse toward the children in 2020 [1].
Merdy pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in March 2026 [1, 2]. On March 20, 2026, a Brooklyn court sentenced her to 20 years to life in prison [1]. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “No sentence can fully measure the loss of a seven-year-old, a four-year-old and a three-month-old baby, or the grief their loved ones will carry forever. We sought the strongest possible accountability in this devastating case, and while nothing can bring these children back, this sentence ensures the defendant will be held responsible for taking their lives. The children’s lives were taken in the most heartbreaking and unthinkable way.” [2]
Merdy’s mother, Jacqueline Scott, said she last contacted her daughter the day before the sentencing. "I reached out to her yesterday and she said she was doing laundry and I said I wanted to speak to the kids. I tried to call her twice on the phone after that and there was no answer," Scott said [2].
The case remains a tragic reminder of the vulnerabilities leading up to the drownings. Merdy’s sentencing closes this chapter with a prison term lasting at least two decades.
