If it seems like you're hearing about a new hot car death story every week now, that's because you sadly are. In 2019 so far, 47 children have perished after being left inside a hot car by their parent or guardian — and on Sunday, two 3-year-old twins from Georgia became the latest victims, after their foster parents found them unresponsive inside a parked vehicle.
Raelynn Keyes and Payton Keyes were thought to be missing when their foster parents dialed 911 on Sunday, as they frantically searched for them.
The search began inside the home, and even expanded around the neighborhood. But once authorities arrived, both girls had been found inside a vehicle, which was parked in the backyard of the family's home in Hinesville, Georgia.
Of course, by then it was too late: Temperatures had soured to 92 degrees, and the girls succumbed to heatstroke.
Their birth mother, Skye Keyes, spoke out this week to say the death of her twins has left her "broken."
“It’s a nightmare," she told a reporter with WTOC. "It feels like a giant nightmare. I feel like we were the last ones to know our daughters died."
The grieving mother also shared that this isn't the only tragedy to befall the family — in fact, it seems like it's one thing after the next.
“We got pregnant six months after we lost our first daughter," she shared. "She died at three weeks. [Then] we found out we were pregnant with the twins. They were born 10 weeks early."
While she wouldn't go into detail, the girls' mother says she and her husband lost custody while still grieving the loss of their first child.
“It’s a long story," she continued. "We went through a lot after we lost our daughter, and we went through more after the girls were born. Bad luck. Just one thing after another."
The girls were both placed in foster care a year ago, the New York Post reports, and since then, Keyes and her husband were allowed to see the toddlers once a week.
In fact, they just saw the girls on Friday — sadly, Keyes had no idea it was the last time she'd see her daughters alive. Now, she has questions for the foster family that was left to care for her daughters, but told WTOC she's still waiting to hear from detectives.
At the time of their deaths, the twins were just weeks away from turning 4.
Their mom recalled how full of life and inseparable the pair were.
“They’re little prissy tomboys, put it that way," Keyes said. "They tagged around with their brother, but they are as girly as you can get at the same time, but happy-go-lucky kids and attached to Mom and Dad, but they just … they were just perfect."
Raelynn and Payton had been living with the foster parents, whom authorities have not yet named, and two other siblings, for about a year and a half. And while the incident appears to be accidental, it's not yet clear if charges will be filed.
“We’re putting all of those pieces of that puzzle together to try and make a determination of what led to their death,” Hinesville police Capt. Tracey Howard told WTOC.
While arrangements have not yet been set, Keyes says she plans to bury her girls beside her other daughter, who passed away in 2014.
“No matter what, where was the woman watching them?" Keyes asked. "It doesn’t make sense whatsoever. We want answers. Nothing is going to bring our girls back."
