Houston mother and daughter found dead after custody hearing, report says

A 35-year-old woman and her four-year-old daughter died in Houston, Texas, after a shooting that followed a family-court custody hearing, according to the New York Post. The woman was identified as Cibelle Savella and the child as Vivian. The newspaper reported that a judge had awarded primary custody to Vivian’s father, Aaron Savella, earlier on the day of the shooting.

Houston police responded to a report of gunfire at the family’s home in west Houston. Officers found the child dead from a gunshot wound, while Savella was also found with a gunshot wound. Savella was taken to hospital, where she later died.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding both deaths. Lieutenant Larry Crowson of the Houston Police Department said the custody hearing had not gone well for the mother, according to the newspaper. The report said Vivian was expected to be handed over to her father later that day.

The father had reportedly been involved in a prolonged custody dispute with Savella following their divorce. Court orders had placed restrictions on Savella, including supervised communication with her daughter and limits on attending some school activities. The reasons for those restrictions were not immediately clear in the source material.

The father’s lawyer, Charlotte Rainwater, said she had practised family law for 28 years and had never experienced a case like it. The family said Aaron had followed the court’s orders and trusted the legal process. Police had not announced further details about the investigation.