Anna Simpson's court appearance postponedUPDATED 8:30 PM EDT May 21, 2013Video Transcript
IT WAS ONE WEEK AGO TODAY...THAT EMERGENCY WORKERS FOUND TWO CHILDREN DEAD...AND THEIR FATHER SERIOUSLY HURT -- ALL FROM GUNFIRE. THE WOMAN CHARGED IN THIS CASE...WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN COURT TODAY.... ... BUT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. NEWS FOUR'S MYRA RUIZ JOINS US NOW... TO TELL US WHY. MYRA? ANNA SIMPSON IS CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF MURDER...AND ONE COUNT OF ATTEMPTED MURDER. TODAY...THE 13TH CIRCUIT PUBLIC DEFENDER...JOHN MAULDIN...CANCELED HER ARRAIGNMENT. A TUESDAY MORNING ARRAIGNMENT AT THE PICKENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE..WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE PUBLIC...ITS FIRST CHANCE TO SEE ANNA SIMPSON...AFTER LEARNING ABOUT THE CRIMES SHE IS ACCUSED OF COMMITTING. "I think it is such a sad thing that a lot of people need time to process, you know, why it happened or what really happened." THE CORONER SAYS SIMPSON'S CHILDREN...7- YEAR-OLD CARLY AND 5-YEAR-OLD SAWYER...WERE SHOT TO DEATH. "I have a 7-year-old myself. I don't know what would make a mother do that." "What was in her mind to do that to her children, you know, cause they're children. They don't hurt anybody." INVESTIGATORS SAY SIMPSON'S HUSBAND...MICHAEL...WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED BY MULTIPLE GUNSHOTS. "The husband's supposed to protect the kids too and he couldn't because he was hurt." THE 13TH CIRCUIT PUBLIC DEFENDER...JOHN MAULDIN...CANCELED THE ARRAIGNMENT...WHICH SIMPSON IS NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE...AS THE CASE MOVES FORWARD. MAULDIN DID NOT SAY WHY HE CANCELED IT...BUT LIMITING EXPOSURE BEFORE A TRIAL...MIGHT HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT. ALONG MAIN STREET...THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF PUBLIC OPINION....AND QUESTIONS... "Again, why. Why would you do that?" "You know, what would motivate someone to do something to someone else to that extent." "It just breaks my heart. It just really does break my heart." THE NEXT STEP IN THIS CASE WOULD BE A PRELIMINARY HEARING FOR ANNA SIMPSON. HOWEVER...THE DEFENSE COUNSEL CAN ALSO CHOOSE TO WAIVE THAT HEARING.