Mom sentenced to up to 78 years in prison for killing 2 daughters in Fairfax County

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - A mother has been sentenced to up to 78 years in prison by a jury in Fairfax County for killing her two daughters in 2018.

Veronica Youngblood, 37, was convicted of four felonies last week, including two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of use of a firearm in commission of a murder.

Youngblood shot her daughters, Sharon Castro, 15, and Brooklynn Youngblood, 5, in their McLean apartment on August 5, 2018.

She told detectives that she planned to kill them and herself following a protracted custody dispute, which had Brooklynn set to move to Missouri with Veronica’s ex-husband, Ron, that weekend. Youngblood purchased a gun on July 27 and, on the night of the killing, fed her daughters sleeping pill gummies before shooting them in their beds.

"Sharon and Brooklynn are two children that should be alive today," Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said. "I have an 11-year-old daughter who has her whole life ahead of her -- and it guts me to imagine her life cut short. This case is a terrible tragedy and I hope today’s verdict brings a measure of healing for the family."

A sentencing hearing will be held on September 22nd to hear additional victim testimony and impose the final sentence.