Philly mom accused of killing kids won’t stand trial

A judge determined Wednesday that a Philadelphia mom accused of murdering her two children will not stand trial due to incompetency.

A Broward County, Florida, judge determined Sophia Hines, 40, should be treated for mental illness after she smothered her two children with a bedsheet on June 8 inside a Miramar, Florida, home, NBC Miami reported.

“We can’t go forward with her trial until we know she’s aware of what is going on, she’s able to work with us and understand the advice I give her and at this point I’m not sure she even understands what happened,” defense attorney Betsy Benson told NBC Miami.

A psychologist said a separate hearingTuesday that Hines suffers from severe post-partum depression and “she doesn’t care about things people normally care about.”

“She has very sad emotions, a loss of pleasure in things she used to enjoy,” Dr. Michael G. Simonds said.

Judge Bernard Bober ordered Hines into the custody of the Florida Department of Children & Families. She’ll be sent to a forensic facility for treatment and medication to “restore the defendant to competency,” after which the case against her will proceed, Bober said.

Benson said it could take “a couple of months” for Hines to be ready to stand trial, according to the Sun Sentinel.

Hines, ofFrankford, was reportedly visiting a relative in the Fort Lauderdale suburb when she suffocated her two children, ages 7 months and 3 years, on June 9. A relative found the two children lying side-by-side and facing up in a master bedroom.

The momconfessed to police that she used a bed sheet to suffocate her 7-month-old son and 3-year-old daughter, but gave no motive.