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Texas Mother Charged With Capital Murder in Deaths of Her Two Sons

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 5 outlets, all right-leaning.

5 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Authorities in Ellis County, Texas, have charged Colleen Nichole Lemmon, 42, with two counts of capital murder after her two sons were found shot inside their Waxahachie home early Thursday. Deputies responded to a 911 call around 4:15 a.m. and found Christopher Scott Pitre, 21, dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head; his 15-year-old brother, Brian Pitre, was taken to a hospital in critical condition and later died. Deputies said Lemmon was found with self-inflicted injuries. According to a probable cause affidavit, Lemmon told officers, “I shot both my kids.” The boys’ father, Scott Pitre, said he wants justice for his sons, who had recently celebrated Brian’s 15th birthday.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Colleen Nichole Lemmon, 42, was charged with two counts of capital murder.

    Reported byRight

  2. Christopher Scott Pitre, 21, and Brian Pitre, 15, were both shot and died.

    Reported byRight

  3. Deputies responded to a 911 call around 4:00–4:15 a.m. Thursday at a home on Big Sky Drive in Waxahachie.

    Reported byRight

  4. Lemmon was found with self-inflicted injuries to her wrists.

    Reported byRight

  5. According to a probable cause affidavit, Lemmon told police, “I shot both my kids.”

    Reported byRight

  6. The boys’ father, Scott Pitre, said he wants justice for his sons.

    Reported byRight

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The nature and severity of Lemmon’s self-inflicted injuries

    New York Post reports she ‘slit her wrists’ in an apparent suicide attempt, while Fox News describes her injuries as ‘non-life-threatening’ without specifying the method.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    No coverage yet

    No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    5 outlets

    Coverage mostly states the charges and shooting factually, though RedState frames the case as part of a broader pattern of mothers killing their children, while others lead with the alleged shooting and confession details.

    Yet Another Lindsay Clancy Disciple? Texas Woman Kills Sons.
    PJ MediaFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left

    Has not covered this story.

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right5

    This is getting crazybrutally attacking or killingcrazyAnother Murdering Mom?

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    This is getting crazyMore neutral: This is the latest in a series of similar cases

    Editorializes with dramatic commentary rather than reporting facts.

    This is getting crazy.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    brutally attacking or killingMore neutral: attacking or killing

    Adds dramatic intensity beyond what is needed to describe the alleged acts.

    …been following a disturbing series of cases involving mothers accused of brutally attacking or killing their own children.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    crazyMore neutral: (omit) and quote the statement

    Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.

    This is getting crazy.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Another Murdering Mom?More neutral: Texas Mother Charged With Killing Both Sons

    Frames the suspect with a dramatic, judgmental label before any conviction, despite the question mark.

    Another Murdering Mom? Texas Woman Charged With Killing Both of Her Sons

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

Show 1 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    horrific double murderMore neutral: double killing

    Adds a dramatic judgment word to describe the alleged crime beyond a neutral description.

    A motive for the alleged horrific double murder remains unclear.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

0 outlets

No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

5 outlets

Leads with

  • details from the probable cause affidavit
  • the father’s call for justice
  • the alleged self-inflicted injuries
  • a pattern of similar cases (RedState)
See the 5 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • PJ MediaFar Right

    Yet Another Lindsay Clancy Disciple? Texas Woman Kills Sons.

    I don't know about you, but it seems as if every day lately, there is another mom in the news who has killed or harmed her children. On Friday, I wrote about the Texas mom who shot her four-year-old daughter on a day when a judge awarded custody of the child to the father. …

    Read at PJ Media (opens in a new tab)
  • Daily MailRight

    Texas mom tells police 'I shot both my kids' before their bodies are found inside home

    Christopher Scott Pitre and his younger brother, Brian Pitre, were allegedly killed by their mother, Colleen Lemonn, 42, on Thursday morning in Waxahachie, Texas, according to police.

    Read at Daily Mail (opens in a new tab)
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Texas mother facing capital murder charges after allegedly shooting her two sons to death

    Colleen Nichole Lemmon allegedly told officers she shot both her sons at their Waxahachie home before deputies found her with self-inflicted injuries.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRight

    North Texas mom fatally shoots two sons, slits her wrists: police

    A motive for the alleged Sensational language“horrific double murder”Adds a dramatic judgment word to describe the alleged crime beyond a neutral description.More neutral: double killingDisagree with this highlight? remains unclear.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  • RedStateFar Right

    Sensational language“Another Murdering Mom?”Frames the suspect with a dramatic, judgmental label before any conviction, despite the question mark.More neutral: Texas Mother Charged With Killing Both SonsDisagree with this highlight? Texas Woman Charged With Killing Both of Her Sons

    Sensational language“This is getting crazy”Editorializes with dramatic commentary rather than reporting facts.More neutral: This is the latest in a series of similar casesDisagree with this highlight?. RedState has been following a disturbing series of cases involving mothers accused of Sensational language“brutally attacking or killing”Adds dramatic intensity beyond what is needed to describe the alleged acts.More neutral: attacking or killingDisagree with this highlight? their own children.

    Read at RedState (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    RedState, Oct 2, 9:15 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. RedStateFar RightOct 2, 9:15 PM EDT
  2. New York PostRightOct 3, 6:43 PM EDT
  3. Fox NewsFar RightOct 3, 11:40 PM EDT
  4. Daily MailRightOct 4, 10:39 AM EDT
  5. PJ MediaFar RightOct 4, 3:55 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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