A Toronto mother has admitted to the horrific murders of her two young sons in a case that shocked the city and revealed a desperate plan for family reunion after her husband's death.
A Heartbreaking Confession in Court
Vanessa Collias, 27, appeared via video link from a Windsor jail and pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder for the 2023 deaths of her children. The emotionally distraught mother offered a tearful apology to the court, stating through sobs that she stood as a broken person wondering if she was damaged beyond repair.
Collias directly addressed her deceased children during her court appearance, saying: To my babies, I love you more than anything. Thank you for showing me what true love is. Her original first-degree murder charges were reduced after prosecutors acknowledged she was suffering from a significant health condition at the time of the crimes.
The Tragic Family Dynamics
The court heard disturbing details about Collias's motivations for the unthinkable acts. She had been married to Costa Collias, who was 72 years old and had died just days before the tragedy on December 1, 2023. Following her husband's sudden death, Collias described feeling completely broken and alone.
According to psychiatric reports presented in court, Collias expressed that she couldn't imagine continuing life without her husband and wanted the entire family to be reunited in heaven. This desperate desire led to her fatal decision regarding her two sons - Yiannis Collias, aged 5, and Dimitri Collias, aged 4.
The Failed Suicide Attempt and Discovery
On December 10, 2023, Toronto Police responded to an unknown trouble call at 5 Glamorgan Avenue in the Kennedy and Ellesmere Roads area. Officers discovered Collias lying on the grass outside her sixth-floor apartment building, where she told emergency responders she had fallen.
When police entered the apartment, they made the heartbreaking discovery of the two young boys lying side-by-side in front of the television, their heads resting on a red pillow. Both children were without vital signs and unresponsive, and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation revealed that Collias had suffocated her sons while singing You Are My Sunshine to them. She then attempted to kill herself but survived the fall from her apartment, instead becoming paraplegic. A letter left for police referenced her husband's death and expressed her desire that she and her sons be reunited with him.
Both the Crown and defence agreed that a life sentence with parole ineligibility of 18 years would be an appropriate punishment for the crimes. The case stands as a tragic reminder of the devastating consequences of untreated mental health crises and profound grief.
