Idaho prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty against Andrea Shaw, a Payette mother who blames vaccines for the deaths of her 18-month-old twins.
Shaw, 23, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Dallas and Tyson, according to The New York Times.
Her attorney says the toddlers died after routine vaccinations. Prosecutors allege she suffocated them.
Here are five facts about a case that has drawn national attention.
1. The Twins Were Found in Their Shared Bed
Dallas and Tyson were found dead in a shared bed at a home on North Ninth Street in Payette in early May 2025, KTVB reported, citing the Payette Police Department.
The siblings had received routine childhood vaccinations days earlier, KMVT reported on Tuesday, October 20.
2. Prosecutors Allege the Twins Were Suffocated
A grand jury indictment accuses Shaw of suffocating her toddlers, KTVB reported; however, she denies it.
Prosecutors allege that Shaw killed her twins while her husband slept, shortly after she returned home from an evening out with a friend.
Payette County Prosecutor Mike Duke outlined four aggravating factors in court filings that he argued warranted the death penalty. They included allegations of “exceptional depravity,” disregard for human life, and the possibility that Shaw could remain a danger to society.
Three days after the twins’ deaths, Shaw and her husband, Nate, appeared on a video podcast produced by Children’s Health Defense.
During the interview, Shaw said Dallas and Tyson were born prematurely and had required extensive medical treatment early in their lives, per CNN.
Payette County Prosecutor Mike Duke wrote in court documents that the autopsy found signs consistent with smothering, according to Fox 59.
In his words, suffocation is “the only conceivable explanation” for the deaths.
Duke’s office also took on the heat question. The twins’ room often hit 100 degrees, prosecutors acknowledged, but they wrote that the children had come through hot days before and that the time of death didn’t match the hottest part of the day.
Shaw’s attorney disputes how prosecutors read the medical evidence.
3. Prosecutors Filed Notice to Seek the Death Penalty: ‘Atrocious’
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ryon Sirucek filed the notice on Friday, October 16, listing four aggravating circumstances, according to KAKE.
Prosecutors allege the killings were “especially heinous, atrocious or cruel,” that another murder was committed at the same time, that Shaw showed disregard for human life, and that she poses a continuing threat to society, per AP News.
Former Idaho Attorney General David LeRoy told KIVI that a murder conviction would be followed by a separate sentencing phase.
4. Her Defense Pushes Back: ‘Outrageous’
According to The New York Times, Shaw, 23, maintained that her twins died after becoming ill following routine flu, hepatitis A, and DTaP vaccinations in April 2025.
Shaw’s attorney, Joseph Filicetti, told KTVB he believes the twins died from vaccinations. He has called the push for the death penalty “outrageous,” The Defender reported.
California attorney Richard Jaffe has also joined her defense team, Court TV reports.
5. Shaw Has Blamed Vaccines and Has Ties to an Anti-Vaccine Group
Days after the twins died, Shaw appeared on a program produced by a nonprofit known for opposing vaccines, KMVT reported.
She is also the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit that Children’s Health Defense filed against the American Academy of Pediatrics, according to The Defender.
The CDC and other major health agencies say routine childhood vaccines are safe and effective.
Shaw pleaded not guilty in August 2026 and asked for a jury trial. KMVT reported that it is scheduled to begin Monday, January 11, 2027, and is expected to last three to four weeks.
No allegations have been proven in court, and Shaw is presumed innocent.
Andrea Shaw: Idaho Mom Faces Death Penalty After Twin Toddler Deaths