Durham, North Carolina, remains in shock after the release of chilling 911 audio recordings that capture the frantic moments following a brutal domestic tragedy on the night of February 25, 2026. Andrea Faust, 34, now faces first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder charges in connection with the stabbing death of her husband and the near-fatal attacks on her three young children. The emergency calls—made by neighbors, a surviving child, and Faust herself—paint a terrifying picture of chaos, blood, and a mother allegedly intent on ending her entire family.

The recordings, obtained through public-records requests and first broadcast by local news outlets on February 27, begin at 11:47 p.m. A neighbor’s panicked voice fills the line: “There’s screaming next door! I think someone’s being stabbed—there’s blood everywhere! Send police now!” The dispatcher asks for the address on Willow Creek Lane, a quiet, middle-class cul-de-sac in northeast Durham. In the background, a child’s high-pitched cry cuts through: “Mommy, stop! Mommy, please!”

A second call comes in less than two minutes later—this time from Faust’s 9-year-old daughter, who managed to lock herself in a bathroom with her younger siblings. Her voice is small, shaking, barely above a whisper: “My mom has a knife… she hurt Daddy… he’s not moving… she’s trying to get in… please come fast.” The dispatcher keeps the girl on the line, speaking softly, telling her to stay quiet and hidden while units race to the scene. The child’s breathing is rapid, punctuated by stifled sobs and the distant sound of banging on the bathroom door.

The third and most disturbing call comes from Faust herself, placed at 11:53 p.m. Her voice is eerily calm at first, almost detached. “I killed my husband,” she says flatly. “He was hurting the kids. I had to stop him.” When the dispatcher asks for clarification, Faust’s tone shifts—suddenly frantic, sobbing. “The babies… I tried to make it quick for them… they’re suffering… I’m so sorry.” Officers arrive moments later, forcing entry and finding a scene of unimaginable horror.

Eric Faust, 36, was discovered in the master bedroom with multiple stab wounds to the chest and neck. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The three children—ages 9, 6, and 3—were found in the locked bathroom, the older two bleeding from defensive wounds to their arms and hands. The 3-year-old had a single stab wound to the abdomen but was still breathing. All three were rushed to Duke University Hospital, where they underwent emergency surgery and remain in stable but critical condition.

Andrea Faust was taken into custody without resistance. According to arrest affidavits, she told officers she “had no choice” and that “the voices told me it was the only way to save them from more pain.” Police recovered a bloody kitchen knife in the hallway and several prescription bottles—antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication—scattered throughout the house. Investigators believe Faust had been struggling with severe postpartum depression and untreated mental-health issues following the birth of her youngest child three years earlier.

Neighbors described the Faust family as quiet and unremarkable. Eric worked as a logistics manager for a regional trucking company; Andrea had been a stay-at-home mother since the oldest child started school. No one reported hearing arguments or seeing signs of domestic violence. One neighbor who placed the first 911 call said the family had seemed “perfectly normal” until that night. “We heard yelling, then nothing, then screaming. It was like a switch flipped.”

The 911 calls have circulated widely online despite efforts by law-enforcement officials to limit their spread. Listeners have described the recordings as “heartbreaking” and “impossible to forget.” The child’s whispered pleas—“Mommy, please”—and Faust’s eerie shift from calm confession to hysterical remorse have left many questioning how such tragedy could unfold behind closed doors in an ordinary suburban home.

Prosecutors have charged Faust with first-degree murder in Eric’s death and three counts of attempted first-degree murder for the attacks on the children. If convicted on all counts, she faces life in prison without parole. District Attorney Satana Deberry issued a brief statement: “This is one of the most disturbing cases our office has handled. The surviving children have endured unimaginable trauma. We are committed to seeking justice while protecting their privacy and well-being.”

Faust’s defense attorney, Mark Montgomery, entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity at her first appearance. He has requested a full psychiatric evaluation, arguing that his client was in the midst of a severe psychotic break exacerbated by untreated mental illness. “Andrea Faust loved her children,” Montgomery said outside the courthouse. “This was not a rational act. It was the act of a woman who had lost touch with reality.”

Child-welfare advocates have called for greater support for families dealing with postpartum mental-health crises. Durham County Social Services confirmed that no prior reports of abuse or neglect had been filed against the Faust household, underscoring how quickly and invisibly such tragedies can develop.

Eric Richins’s family has asked for privacy as they focus on supporting the surviving children, who remain hospitalized. A GoFundMe established by friends and coworkers has raised more than $180,000 for medical expenses, counseling, and future care.

The quiet cul-de-sac on Willow Creek Lane is now cordoned off with yellow tape. Neighbors leave flowers, teddy bears, and handwritten notes at the curb. One card reads simply: “We’re so sorry we didn’t know.”

As the trial moves forward, the 911 calls continue to echo—small, desperate voices reaching out into the night, forever frozen in time. For a community still struggling to comprehend the incomprehensible, they serve as a haunting reminder: sometimes the most terrifying violence happens behind the most ordinary doors.