A 29-year-old Henderson County woman is on suicide watch after being arrested and accused of fatally shooting her two young daughters early Thursday morning.
Sarah Nicole Henderson is in the Henderson County Jail, charged with the capital murder of her children, 7-year-old Kaylee and her 5-year-old half-sister Kenlie.
Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said Henderson showed no remorse or "much emotion" when she confessed to the murders and was "just matter-of-fact" during her interview with police following her arrest. He added detectives learned she'd been planning the crime for a couple of weeks and had also intended to kill her husband.
"Over the last 24 hours, the investigation shows that she planned these murders for at least the last two weeks," Hillhouse said. "It appears she also intended to kill her husband, but the entire crime did not go as planned."
According to the sheriff, Henderson's husband called 911 at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday to report that she was suicidal. A second call was made minutes later to cancel the request, which canceled the EMS response, but sheriff's deputies still went to the residence.
Deputies arrived at about 11:45 p.m. but left after the couple said they were fine and no one was in danger.
Hillhouse said Henderson's husband called 911 nearly three hours later, at about 2:24 a.m., to report that his wife had shot both of her children.
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In the 911 call, the husband said he was asleep in the bedroom and the victims were sleeping in the living room. He said he woke up to his wife telling him she' shot both of the children.
"I didn't want to believe it and went in there and they were dead," he said in the recording.
When police arrived, both of the children were deceased.
"It's a life-changing event for everyone — not only the family, but all the first responders — that responded to the call. It's something that you don't ever forget," Hillhouse said.
Detectives arrested Henderson, who the sheriff confirmed was the subject of the original call to the home, and transported her to the Henderson County Jail where she is being kept under suicide watch.
Hillhouse confirmed that Henderson's husband is not suspected of any wrongdoing. He also confirmed the man is not the father of either of the victims.
A motive for the slayings has not been confirmed, and the investigation into the shootings is ongoing.
Neighbors spent Thursday trying to wrap their heads around the violent incident.
"I've never had a conversation with her, but the little girls would come over here and ride their little bikes around the circle driveway. They would draw pictures and put them in the mailbox for us," said Jaylyne Palmer, who's lived across the street from the Hendersons for much of the last decade.
Deputies with the Henderson County Sheriff's Department, along with the Texas Rangers and Child Protective Services, are handling the investigation.
Henderson is being held on $2 million bond on one charge of capital murder of a child under the age of 10. A second capital murder charge is pending. In Texas, the murder of a person under the age of 10 is an immediate capital offense punishable by death or life in prison without parole.
It's not clear if Henderson has obtained an attorney.
NBC 5's Frank Heinz contributed to this report.
