The quiet town of Wolcottville, Indiana, has been shaken by an unthinkable tragedy after three young sisters and their mother were found dead inside their home. Authorities confirmed that Rebecca Hughes, 32, and her daughters Evalynn, 8, Allison, 6, and Amelia, 5, were discovered during a welfare check on September 17. As investigators continue to piece together what happened, the girls’ father, Jonathan Newell, has spoken out publicly, sharing the raw heartbreak of losing his children and the haunting “what-ifs” that now fill his days.
Jonathan revealed in interviews that he had been working long hours to provide for his daughters while simultaneously fighting in court for more time with them. On the morning the tragedy was discovered, he had just returned home from a third consecutive shift when he received a frantic call from his mother. At first, he brushed off her worries, convinced everything was fine — until social media posts and a knock on his own front door brought the devastating reality. Two officers stood there, delivering the words no parent should ever have to hear.
Through tears, Jonathan described the overwhelming mix of grief, guilt, and disbelief he now lives with. He said some moments feel so unreal that he almost expects his daughters to be just down the road at their mother’s home, waiting for him to visit. Yet the truth always hits again, leaving him reeling. “Sometimes you’re mad. Sometimes you’re sad. Other times you don’t even feel like you’re there,” he confessed, reflecting on the endless cycle of emotions since that day.
Even in his sorrow, Jonathan has found himself surrounded by extraordinary support. Neighbors created a growing memorial outside the family’s home, leaving stuffed animals and flowers, while a GoFundMe campaign raised more than $45,000 in just hours to give his daughters the farewell they deserved. The grieving father says the community’s generosity has been a light in his darkest time, and he has chosen to honor his children by raising awareness about mental health struggles. “If you’re a parent and you’re struggling,” he urged, “please get help — because you never know when it could be the last time you see your kids.”