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‘Horrific and painful’: Jacksonville parents of twins found dead inside toy box devastated by loss, aunt says

Aurora and Kellan Starr (GoFundMe)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The two 4-year-old children who were found dead inside a toy box just over a week ago in a Regency home were twin brother and sister, according to an online fundraiser created by their aunt.

A GoFundMe page, posted by the sister of the children’s mother, Deanna Myers, identified the twins as Aurora and Kellan Starr and called the incident a “tragic accident” and “the most horrific and painful thing any parent or sibling could be forced to endure.”

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Myers said her sister Sadie and brother-in-law Donn are devastated by the unexpected and incomprehensible loss of two of their four children.

“As much as these wonderful parents have tried to blame themselves, they can’t. They couldn’t have known that this would happen or done anything to stop it. Four-year-old twins do so many silly things and they always do them together. This accident was one of those absolutely inconceivable things you can’t imagine or plan for or believe was even possible,” the page reads.

In the fundraiser, Myers said the parents “worked long, very demanding hours and their jobs are not easy but they never complained they did whatever they could to give those kids the best lives possible and planned on doing it forever.”

According to a report from the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), the children were pronounced dead after they were found unresponsive in a “footlocker/toybox” while playing at home.

JSO said the children were found around noon when an adult went to check on them at a home on Cromwell Road. The children did not show any signs of trauma and everyone in the home was interviewed, JSO said. As of Monday, no charges have been filed against anyone involved.

It’s unclear how the twins died but the Sheriff’s Office said they suffered a “medical emergency.” The GoFundMe does not detail exactly what happened that led to their deaths and investigators have not released any more details since Aug. 26.

As of Monday evening, the online fundraiser had brought in nearly $7,000 from 84 donations.

Myers said a funeral service for the twins has not been finalized but she plans to provide updates on the GoFundMe page.


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