New report reveals Lakewood, NJ ‘murder’ mom’s disturbing confession

LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP — The mother of two toddlers told police “she needed to kill the children for religious purposes,” according to the incident report in the case obtained by New Jersey 101.5.

The incident report discloses the events that led to Naomi Elkins, 27, being charged with two counts of murder after police went to the home on Shenandoah Drive in Lakewood where police found two girls ages 1 and 3 drowned in separate tubs.

Elkins and her husband, Edward Wiseman, 40, lived in a basement apartment of the Shenandoah Drive home. He had been away on business in Virginia since May 24. She worked at Giggles daycare in Lakewood where she brought her daughters who participated in the program.

According to the report, Elkins told detectives she came home from work at a daycare center Monday and was having “concerning thoughts" and spent the night praying.

Elkins and her daughters went to Giggle Daycare on Tuesday using a car service. She told police that after work, she "believed that she needed to kill the children for religious purposes."

Elkins said she stabbed one of her daughters but only "slightly punctured" her, the report said. A knife with a red handle was found in the kitchen sink.

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"Hurt her children"

Elkins put one daughter on the couch while she ran a bath. Elkins took off the girl's clothes, placed her into the bathtub and held her down for around two to three minutes, according to the report.

This was witnessed by her other daughter who ran screaming into a second bathroom, the report said. Elkins followed her, removed her clothes as well, filled the tub with water and put her in.

The mother went back and forth between the tubs holding each girl under the water while counting to 50, according to the report. The report said she realized she had “done something wrong” and called the Lakewood Hatzolah, a Jewish ambulance service. She told them she had “hurt her children.”

During questioning Elkins was allowed to write a letter to her children by detectives. The report said that the letter included that she killed her children but other details were not disclosed.

Letter from a relative

Elkins had a history of psychosis but had been doing better in the past year, according to a letter from an unnamed relative posted by The Lakewood Scoop.

"We spent shavous together and she seemed to be doing great," the relative wrote. "She is a sweet woman from a family of talmidei chachomin."

Shavous is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the date when God gave the Torah to the Jewish people. "Talmidei chachomin" refers to an honorary title given to a man who is well versed in Jewish law.

Elkins is being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing on Monday.