NC mom accused in hatchet deaths spoke of ghosts

ASHEVILLE, NC (AP) — A North Carolina woman accused of using a
hatchet to kill her 8-year-old and 4-year-old daughters is blaming
ghosts for their death.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reported Tuesday
that a request for a search warrant
includes a statement saying 33-year-old Naiyana Patel told a police
officer that a ghost killed her children.

Patel is recovering from self-inflicted injuries at Mission
Hospital in Asheville.

She’s charged with first-degree murder in the slayings. Lt.
Wally Welch says detectives have not had a chance to ask her about
what happened.

Patel and her husband operated a convenience store and had lived
in Asheville for about 20 years.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)