M&M Murder: Veronica Cirella Killed Her Allergic Daughter With Peanut Chocolates, Cops Say

Veronica Cirella is accused of killing her allergic 8-year-old daughter Julie with peanut M&Ms.

A New York mom is accused of killing her daughter by feeding the little girl peanut M&Ms -- which she was severely allergic to, cops said.

Veronica Cirella, 31, of Plainview, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder in the death of her 8-year-old daughter Julie, who was found dead in her home on July 23 last year, CBS reported. The little girl, who had cerebral palsy, was found just hours before she was to be a flower girl in a cousin's wedding.

Cops found Cirella lying on the floor near her daughter's body. She had allegedly tried to kill herself with a cocktail of insulin injections and painkillers, and then attempted to strangle herself with an electrical cord according to News One. She also left a suicide note detailing the events leading up to her daughter's death.

"I had to give her a better life, which was to give her back to heaven," Cirella allegedly wrote. "She does not deserve to be in pain whatsoever. I don't mind going to hell because I took my life to give her a better life, which is in heaven where she can be free."

Cirella reportedly gave the girl the M&Ms as a treat for agreeing to participate in the wedding. Cops said that she knew her daughter was allergic to peanuts, and claims that she gave the girl a dose of Benadryl in order to counteract any allergic reactions before Cirella went to sleep.

Cirella's mother-in-law, Dolores Cirella, discovered the two when she checked in to see how the wedding preparations were going.

Cirella faces a life sentence for the alleged murder.

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Comments

[lgb0916]

01:41 AM on 04/22/2012

If ever there were a person who deserved to die the worst of deaths.

[baseballgal]

08:16 AM on 04/13/2012

Religion is often an excuse for criminal behavior and rationalizing one's hate of others.

Religion...the last refuge of scoundrels,haven for the mentally ill, bigots and child molesters

A club I want no part of

[whoknew42]

08:33 AM on 04/18/2012

Fanned!

[Hatchetman1994]

02:14 PM on 04/10/2012

Wow, i love reading yall's arguments, forreal, don't argue back and forth online, you wanna do that step to each others face in public, stop arguing like a bunch of kids forreal, only reason i am on this website is cuz im sittin in school, im 17 and am more mature than most of you, i dont insult people online over their religion and what not, if i run my mouth i do it with my mouth and my hands, learn from me people.

[kashiskay]

03:38 PM on 04/10/2012

Says the "mature" 17 yr old who's previous comment read, "WTF. Ugly @SS pig, she deserves death." Now try to say that to her face and see what happens. If she killed her own daughter, I'm sure sitting on you won't be a problem. And you don't "insult people online over their religion and what not" - come on, son!

You may need to get off the computer and pay attention in class. An education is the only thing that could save you. Or maybe a good a&& whooping.

What this women did was sick, yes. Leave your opinion and keep it moving.

[Hatchetman1994]

02:11 PM on 04/10/2012

WTF. Ugly @SS pig, she deserves death

[seriously77]

02:11 PM on 04/10/2012

As a mother, I can't imagine raising a child with a disability.... not for my own self but it would be hard to see your child suffer day in and day out. Granted, I don't know how bad this little girl was etc, I'm simply saying it would be hard to watch. However, when you lie down with a person and make that baby, you need to realize that you may have a child born with a disability and if you can't accept it, then you don't Make that child. Plain and simple.

[Fenrir Lokison]

08:07 AM on 04/13/2012

I agree...With a lot of what you have to say. If you are not ready to handle the responsibilities and possibilities that comes with being a parent, one should strongly think about what they are doing with their bodies.

I know a woman who had a severely mentally challenged son who lived into his mid to late 30's. She was the only one who cared for him all his life.

I think majority parents, even those of us who find it hard or impossible to let (not the few that will never let go and who baby their kids until their deaths or deaths of their kids) go, look forward to raising their kids. Seeing them, or even kicking them, out of the house and to see what that child will do with their lives. To even hope for them to have a family of their own. But, when you deal with someone who may never have that opportunity, many people cannot and should not keep those children.

[whoknew42]

08:49 AM on 04/18/2012

I believe the main issue with this story is:

#1 - Religion

The mother is obviously a religious fanatic whose mind is cluttered with delusional thoughts and she honestly thought she was doing a good thing by killing her own child. Many religions advocate killing children - even christianity. It's in the bible

[seriously77]

08:53 PM on 04/18/2012

Well I don't see a judge or jury letting her go because it's advocated in the bible. And regardless....she doesn't have my support or sympathy.

[omegas3]

11:43 AM on 04/10/2012

tragic

[Cherie69]

10:12 AM on 04/10/2012

This little girl suffered...dying from an allergic reaction is a horrible way to die...RIP, sweetie.

[chris784100]

07:24 PM on 04/09/2012

I hope they give this woman the chair if she did it.

[tjones86]

01:22 PM on 04/09/2012

This is horrible. So many people would do anything to have kids and this woman does this...

[Michael J Sabino]

12:35 AM on 04/09/2012

More people need to get mad about things like this. Superstition is the antithesis to our progress as a race.

[pthesmith]

04:27 PM on 04/09/2012

Instead, get mad about the lack of support for people who have children with disabilities.

[Michael J Sabino]

07:09 PM on 04/09/2012

Absolutely. That is also a problem.

[massimo]

12:07 AM on 04/10/2012

I wouldn't take the explanation at face value. Someone who kills one individual and tries to kill themself is obviously not just believing in "superstition". Someone capable of the act is likely suffering mental illness or is otherwise failing to cope with environmental stresses.

[whoknew42]

08:51 AM on 04/18/2012

However, religion cannot be taken out of this equation.

She did this because she believed she was giving her daughter "a better life in heaven".

That is believing in superstition

[Daniel Caceres Bartra]

11:12 PM on 04/08/2012

one thing. I know god obviously exists, there is no doubt about it. I dont have religion i an afraid to say sometimes that I believe in god, because im afraid i might be giving god a bad name. everyone just needs to know that there is a big difference between people who really have fait in god and put all their faith in him and people that bandwagonly like to say im a christian. dont judge this story because of the religious outlook.

[Michael J Sabino]

12:47 AM on 04/09/2012

Her daughters pain was the motivator, but it was her belief in "heaven" which eased her conscience when she murdered her daughter. It's not likely she would have done it without her religious beliefs.

[PatA]

02:17 AM on 04/09/2012

you don't know that.

[massimo]

12:10 AM on 04/10/2012

You can't diagnose what happened from a limited data set like the self report from the suicide note. Belief in heaven/hell is far more common than acts like this, so confining the meaning of the act to it isn't warranted.

[powerkats]

02:29 AM on 04/09/2012

Daniel, go back to the Truth. Please...get a Bible study and find God again. I don't know you, but am hoping you find out what the Bible really teaches.

[IamYourDrillThrall]

08:00 AM on 04/09/2012

That its okay to own slaves? That women are property? That we shouldn't wear clothes made of mixed fabrics? That there are giants that walk the Earth? Stop me any time...

[TruthTellingGirl]

06:27 PM on 04/08/2012

this just makes me sad. nothing else to say about it.

[Ben Wilson]

12:09 PM on 04/08/2012

No one should be quick to judge on this. I am confused because people with Cerebal palsy can live decent lives, where as if it was serious illness where things were only going to get worse I could sympathise with her very easily. But it is still a case for me of one where neither mum or daughter got the right kind of support they needed so desperatly needed. But hey that's just how I am, Pitchforks and torches is too much like heavy lifting to me. And it's just plan toxic to turn something sad into anger. Anger as a Silurian said to "The Doctor" is the quickest path to a mistakes.

[TruthTellingGirl]

06:25 PM on 04/08/2012

Nice to see someone on the 'net who doesn't judge. In fact, you may be the only one. Keep it up!

[sophiebpoodle]

12:09 PM on 04/08/2012

Well, that must have been a really fun wedding.

[PatA]

02:18 AM on 04/09/2012

How terribly crass!

[annieooo]

12:04 PM on 04/08/2012

"I had to give her a better life, which was to give her back to heaven," Cirella allegedly wrote. "She does not deserve to be in pain whatsoever. I don't mind going to hell because I took my life to give her a better life, which is in heaven where she can be free."
This sounds like a mother who loved her child and was in great despair in seeing her suffer. I don't condone her actions but understand her feelings. I am a disabled person who is the sole caregiver for my 91 year old mother. My mom had a horrible case of shingles on her head and face. My mom had never had a major illness or injury prior to this. After suffering through almost 2 years of terrible pain before doctors found a medication that worked for her, my mom said "I never before understood why anyone would want to commit suicide or be euthanized. Now I understand." Chronic pain is a terrible thing to endure or watch someone you love endure. Before we harshly judge we need to carefully look at the situation. There are many questions for which we don't have "good" answers. There are no easy solutions when it comes to chronic pain and disease.

[Michael J Sabino]

12:50 AM on 04/09/2012

While I agree that there are no easy answers or solutions in situations like that depicted in the article, however, it's safe to assert that murdering a child shouldn't be on the list of options.

[IamYourDrillThrall]

08:02 AM on 04/09/2012

My initial reactions when reading this article were and are that this mother is mentally ill. Do you agree?

[annieooo]

08:35 AM on 04/09/2012

Agree. Which is why I said "I don't condone her actions but understand her feelings:

[phylliscooper1]

05:46 PM on 04/09/2012

You are correct about chronic pain being intolerable and can encompass every waking moment and take all the joy from life. I am a nurse and have worked with patients who have begged me to end their lives. Of course I would not or could not have complied but I did advocate for them even harder to their physicians to try to find ways to reduce their level of pain, if only a little bit.