Two-year-old Millie Winifred Sevonne Spader died on February 19, 2024, in a house fire at her home in Ferguson, Missouri. Her mother, Bernadine "Birdie" Pruessner, 39, intentionally set a mattress on fire around 4:30 AM while the four children were sleeping, in what was ruled a murder-suicide by the St. Louis County Police Department. Millie, along with her siblings — twins Ellie and Ivy Pruessner (age 9) and Jackson Spader (age 5) — and the mother all perished in the blaze. A suicide note was found at the scene stating Pruessner's intentions to take her own life and those of her children. The medical examiner determined Millie's cause of death was thermal injury and inhalation of products of combustion, with the manner ruled homicide. Pruessner had been embroiled in custody disputes with both her ex-husband and her ex-boyfriend, the respective fathers of her children, and her family described her as being in an "awful place" due to the 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)
The medical examiner report lists the cause of death as "Thermal injury and inhalation of products of combustion" and the manner as "Homicide." The news article states that "Bernadine intentionally set a mattress on fire as that was the point of origin for the fire" and "A note was also left stating Bernadine's intentions to take her life and the lives of her children." The child's thermal injuries were deliberately inflicted by the mother through arson.
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." Bernadine Pruessner set the fire that killed her four children and herself, and a note was found confirming her intent.
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?
Bernadine "Birdie" Pruessner was the biological mother of Millie Spader. The news article states she "intentionally set a mattress on fire" and left "A note...stating Bernadine's intentions to take her life and the lives of her children." The fire was ruled a murder-suicide, with Pruessner as the perpetrator.
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 reports that the mother's family statement said she was in an "awful place" at the time of her death due to "ongoing litigation" with her ex-husband. The article also describes a murder-suicide with a suicide note, and her lawyer's reflection that he "missed every sign." These references collectively speak to the mother's mental state leading up to the incident, 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 provides significant context that may affect a researcher's understanding. The mother, Bernadine Pruessner, was a former Missouri Teacher of the Year (2013) and Lewis & Clark Community College professor. She was involved in simultaneous custody disputes with two different ex-partners: David Pruessner (father of twins Ellie and Ivy) and Jared Spader (father of Jackson and Millie). Her family's statement alleged that the two fathers "coordinated their efforts" to undermine her, and her lawyer noted she earned "less than $60,000 a year" and struggled to keep up with legal costs. The family statement said "She saw her children being used by their fathers as foils and she viewed the process and system for resolution of those claims as cumbersome, tedious and never ending." This case raises systemic issues regarding how high-conflict custody litigation may contribute to parental desperation and filicide, and how professionals in the system (including her own attorney) failed to identify warning signs.
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