By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-914168.mp3
Dallas, TX – The Irving mom accused of killing her two children told the 9-1-1 operator she killed them because she wants "normal kids." KERA's BJ Austin says in a recording of the call, Saiqa Akhter is heard telling police her children were autistic.
Unedited 911 Call Released By Irving PD:
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The Irving 9-1-1 operator had difficulty at first figuring out what 30 year old Saiqa Akhter was telling her.
Akhter: I killed my children.
Operator: You killed your children?
Akhter: Yeah, I killed them, both of them.
Akhter tells police she tried to get the children to drink bathroom cleaner. When that failed, she strangled them with a TV antenna wire. The operator asks, "Why did you do this?"
Akhter: Both are autistic.
Operator: Both are what, dear?
Akhter: Autistic. I don't want my kids to be like that.
Operator: They both autistic?
Akhter: I don't I want normal kids.
Dr. Madukhar Trivedi, a psychiatrist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says the manner in which the mother describes the killings is difficult for anyone to hear.
Trivedi: The sort of monotonous voice that you hear clearly is something that is disturbing to all of us when we listen to it because we as a society expect some sort of strong emotion when a mother is talking about the death of her children. And this lack of touch with reality is the most striking, in my view.
At one point, Akhter's recounting of what happened softened somewhat.
Akhter: They are autistic. They are too much.
Operator: Both of them are autistic?
Akhter: Yeah, I don't want my kids to be autistic. I killed both of them.
Akhter faces capital murder charges for killing her six year old son and three year old daughter.