The Long Island mother of the 8-year-old disabled girl who was found dead on Saturday was charged with manslaughter in connection with the little girl's death. Police found Veronica Cirella, 31, unconscious with a cord wrapped around her throat, and her daughter Julie, who had cerebral palsy, dead by her side; Julie was supposed to be a flower girl in her cousin's wedding that day. "There's a wheelchair decorated with flowers in the home. Apparently this 8-year-old girl was supposed to go down the aisle in this fashion," Nassau County police Detective Lt. Kevin Smith told CBS.
Police believe that the mother may have been attempting to strangle herself as part of a murder-suicide; Cirella is scheduled to be arraigned at her bedside at a local hospital. The cause of death for Julie is still pending, and it's unclear whether her condition contributed to her death. Police added that Julie's dad, Joe Cirella, has been jailed since Thursday for violating an order of protection Veronica took out against him. The cousin's wedding went ahead on Saturday despite the tragedy, though it's unclear whether the family were aware of the death before the ceremony.
