On February 19, 2024, 9-year-old Ellie June Rose Pruessner died in a house fire at her home in Ferguson, Missouri, along with her twin sister Ivy (9), half-siblings Jackson (5) and Millie (2), and their mother Bernadine "Birdie" Pruessner (39). The fire was ruled a murder-suicide by the St. Louis County Police Department. Investigators determined that Bernadine intentionally set a mattress on fire, which was the point of origin, and a suicide note was found stating her intentions to take her own life and those of her children. The cause of death was thermal injury and inhalation of products of combustion. The mother, a former Missouri Teacher of the Year and community college professor, had been involved in contentious custody disputes with the fathers of her children and was described by family as being in an "awful place" due to the emotional and financial toll of ongoing litigation.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
While the examples listed in the question reference direct physical violence, the child's death was caused by thermal injury from a fire intentionally set by the mother, which constitutes an inflicted injury. The ME report (MO_24_1718.pdf) lists the cause of death as "Thermal injury and inhalation of products of combustion" with manner of death "Homicide." The news article confirms "It is believed that Bernadine intentionally set a mattress on fire as that was the point of origin for the fire."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The news article explicitly states: "the St. Louis County Police Department confirmed that investigators ruled the fire a murder-suicide." The mother, Bernadine Pruessner, and all four children perished in the blaze, and "A note was also left stating Bernadine's intentions to take her life and the lives of her children."
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The news article states that Bernadine "Birdie" Pruessner, the biological mother of Ellie and her twin Ivy, "intentionally set a mattress on fire" and left "A note... stating Bernadine's intentions to take her life and the lives of her children." She was the biological mother of the decedent and the perpetrator of the murder-suicide.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The news article references the mother's mental state through multiple indicators. A family statement said she was in an "awful place" due to "ongoing litigation" with her ex-partners. Her attorney stated: "apparently I missed every sign," acknowledging possible warning signs of mental distress. The murder-suicide itself, along with a note "stating Bernadine's intentions to take her life and the lives of her children," strongly implies mental health crisis, even though no formal diagnosis is named.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The news article details significant contextual factors that may be of material interest to researchers. The mother, Bernadine Pruessner, was engaged in concurrent custody battles with two separate ex-partners (David Pruessner and Jared Spader), which her family and attorney described as financially and emotionally devastating. Her attorney noted she "earned less than $60,000 a year" and struggled with legal costs. The family statement described a pattern where "Each day that Birdie would score a step forward, her ex-husband and or her former boyfriend would undertake an action to denigrate or undermine her role as a mother," and the attorney claimed the two fathers "coordinated their efforts." She also posted ominous social media messages hours before the fire, including "Making today one of those live each day like it's your last kind of days!" and "All my kids, peacefully sleeping in my bed…Knowing they are loved so fiercely that I'd do absolutely anything for them." These details suggest systemic issues around family court litigation stress and its potential role in precipitating fatal outcomes.
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