Texas Girl, 4, Dies After Custody Hearing as Mother Later Dies in Suspected Murder-Suicide

Custody fights going to court aren’t new, but one specific incident took an extreme turn. Things started when a custody hearing took place between the parents of 4-year-old Vivian Savella. The judge awarded temporary custody and authority over major decisions concerning Vivian’s care to the father, Aaron Savella.

The mother was also restricted to supervised visitation. According to the family’s statement, Aaron was waiting for Vivian to return to his house after the hearing. The order apparently didn’t specify exactly how the handover was supposed to occur, so the father assumed that Vivian would get her belongings from her mother’s place before coming to Aaron’s house.

However, things took a dark turn when officers arrived at a home on Terra Reserve Place at approximately 5:45 PM. Vivian was found dead from a gunshot wound at home, and the mother was seriously wounded and taken to the hospital. According to reports, the babysitter and stepfather were inside the house, and they heard the gunshots.

The mother was taken to the hospital for her injuries. However, she died in the following days in what authorities described as a suspected murder-suicide. Some later reports also described that the restrictions the court had placed on the mother also concerned school activities and communication with Vivian.

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The Parents Had Been Fighting For a While

The parents had been in a prolonged custody dispute. According to later court documents, the custody ruling and the expected transfer of Vivian to her father’s care happened on the same day as the shooting. The father’s family also stated that they expected his daughter to return following the legal process.

The babysitter and stepfather reportedly heard the gunshots, and authorities later described the incident as a suspected murder-suicide. Aside from that, there’s no confirmed eyewitness or anything of the like, since the mother also died.