Doctors Consider Child’s Recovery After Murder-Suicide Attempt ‘Inspiring’

Denver, CO – Denver police were able to confirm after autopsy and investigation that on February 6, 23-year-old Mayra Nunez shot her three children, one of them multiple times, and then herself.

Relatives said Mayra and her husband Ricky quarreled the night before. Ricky then left the home to cool off and made the discovery of the bodies when he returned early the next day and called authorities.

Family members and police still struggle to identify a clear motive behind the shootings, bewildered as to what drove the young stay-at-home mother to take not only her own life, but attempted to wipe out her children as well.

As a result of the murder-suicide Mayra, her 4-year-old daughter, Navaeh (also reported as Neveah), and 1-year-old son, Eric, died. However, Mayra’s 2-year-old daughter Isabel managed to survive. Several reports vary slightly on the ages of the children.

Isabel was tended to by paramedics, rushed to Denver Health Medical Center, immediately underwent surgery for her head wound, and remained in a critical condition. With the consent of the family, doctors removed tubes and support, unsure at first if the child would survive. Five days after being shot in the head, Isabel awoke from her coma.

According to the girl’s rehabilitation physician, Dr. Michael Dichiaro, the bullet had passed through the child’s frontal lobe, left to right, damaging arteries in the brain. This injury resulted in the deficit in Isabel’s limited ability to use her left side and lower extremities.

Since Isabel has engaged in rehabilitation, her progress has been considered “inspiring to see,” given before her recovery had been deemed low-level. The attentiveness of the girl’s grandmother has been beneficial Isabel’s progress. Isabel can now walk with the assistance of a therapist and a walker and is using words. Her upcoming goals are to learn how to feed and dress herself.

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