Kailey Erhart remains jailed on $3 million bond as a surviving 1-year-old recovers and the criminal case moves toward an October hearing.

MANDAN, N.D. — A 22-year-old North Dakota woman remains jailed on charges including two counts of murder and attempted murder after authorities say two of her young children died and a third survived an attack inside the family’s Mandan home on Aug. 6.

Kailey Renae Erhart faces nine criminal charges in Morton County District Court stemming from the violence, which unfolded at a residence on South Frontier Trail. Police and court records say a 3-year-old and a 5-month-old died after being taken to Bismarck hospitals, while a 1-year-old underwent surgery and survived. Erhart has not been convicted of the charges. She was ordered held on $3 million cash bond after her initial court appearance and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing and arraignment on Oct. 6.

The case began as an emergency call involving a mother and three children inside a home. Mandan police said officers arrived about 5:42 p.m. after dispatchers received information that the children were in danger. According to a police affidavit reported by local news organizations, an officer who entered the residence found Erhart holding a kitchen knife near her own throat and with blood on her. Authorities said she dropped the knife and was taken into custody. Officers then moved farther into the home and found the three children together in a bedroom with serious cutting injuries concentrated around their necks. Emergency crews transported all three for treatment.

The 5-month-old was pronounced dead at CHI St. Alexius Medical Center that evening, according to the affidavit as reported by Valley News Live. The 3-year-old died after being taken to Sanford Health early the following morning. Police initially declined to give detailed information about the surviving child’s condition, saying only that the 1-year-old had undergone surgery. A family update reported Aug. 10 by KFYR said the surgery had gone well and doctors expected the child to make a full physical recovery. Authorities have not publicly identified the children by name in the police announcements cited in the case.

Investigators say the confrontation began before police reached the house. The children’s father told investigators that Erhart had recently purchased a handgun and threatened him with it that evening, according to the affidavit. He said he managed to take the pistol from her, disassemble it and scatter its pieces around the home. The affidavit also says a video recovered from the father’s cellphone showed Erhart carrying one of the children with a pistol at her hip and telling him, “Say goodbye to your kids.” That recording became one of the pieces of evidence described publicly before a judge later restricted release of investigative material.

The father and the children’s grandmother told investigators that Erhart later chased them from the residence while carrying a knife, according to accounts of the affidavit. Once they were outside, authorities say Erhart locked the door while the children remained inside. Police Chief Jason Ziegler said dispatch information indicated that a mother had locked herself in the home with three children and was threatening to kill them. The affidavit says officers found the children after following blood through the house. Police have released only limited details about what occurred between the adults leaving the residence and the officers’ entry.

After Erhart was taken into custody and advised of her rights, investigators questioned her about the events, according to the affidavit. Authorities said she reported remembering having a knife when police arrived but told investigators she could not clearly remember everything that happened. The affidavit also attributes to her a statement that she had placed the children on the bed after they had been injured. Those statements are allegations contained in the investigation and have not been tested at trial. Prosecutors have not publicly announced a motive, and the criminal case remains at a preliminary stage.

Court records and police reporting also describe concerns that predated the Aug. 6 incident. The children’s father told investigators that he and Erhart were separating and that he planned to divorce her. According to the affidavit, he had previously reported statements by Erhart about dying by suicide and killing the children. Investigators said child welfare officials had been aware of earlier concerns and that Erhart had spent time at a mental health facility during the previous 12 to 18 months. Authorities also said she was taking medication and had been cleared to be with the children. Those facts do not establish why the Aug. 6 violence occurred, and officials have not publicly attributed the attack to a specific mental health condition.

The charges filed in Morton County include two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of terrorizing with a dangerous weapon and a misdemeanor domestic violence count, according to local reports citing court records. An earlier police account also referenced child abuse among the offenses under investigation, but subsequent reports of the formal case described nine charges. At her initial appearance, a judge set the $3 million cash bond and ordered Erhart to have no contact with surviving victims. A plea had not been entered in the publicly reported proceedings through the latest available court coverage.

The court has since placed limits on what additional evidence can be publicly released. On Aug. 19, Judge Marina Spahr approved a joint request from prosecutors and Erhart’s defense team prohibiting release of videos, photographs and documents created or obtained during the investigation while the case is pending. Court filings cited the need to protect the defendant’s right to a fair and impartial trial, reduce the risk of tainting a potential jury pool and protect the privacy of the victims. The order means some of the material described in the original affidavit may not be supplemented by publicly released recordings or investigative files before the case is resolved.

The attack also affected the officers and emergency workers who entered the residence. Ziegler described the scene as one that no person should have to encounter and publicly praised officers for responding during what he characterized as an extraordinarily difficult call. He also called the case a tragic event for the children, their relatives, the Mandan community and first responders. His comments came during a police briefing the morning after the attack, as authorities announced the deaths and began releasing the first details of the investigation.

As of Sept. 21, Erhart remains in custody on the $3 million bond, and the surviving 1-year-old has been reported by family members as expected to physically recover. The next publicly announced step is the Oct. 6 preliminary hearing and arraignment, when the court is expected to continue considering the charges and whether the case moves forward toward trial. The allegations against Erhart remain unproven unless established in court.

Author note: Last updated September 21, 2026.