LEE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) – A months-long investigation into the tragic deaths of two young sisters in Texas has led to the arrest of their mother in Southwest Florida. Laura Nicholson, 23, was apprehended at a mental health facility in Lee County and is now facing felony charges for the deaths of her children.

On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Harris County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home in Katy, Texas, where two children—identified in police reports as 3-year-old K.L.K. and 2-year-old K.E.K.—were found unresponsive in a swimming pool.

According to court documents, the children’s grandmother, Catherine Nicholson, discovered the toddlers in the water after returning from errands around 11:00 a.m.. Despite life-saving efforts by neighbors and medics, the children were later pronounced dead.

Disturbing Evidence

While the case initially appeared to be a tragic drowning, unsealed court records reveal a much darker reality. Autopsy reports completed on April 30, 2026, by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Science found cocaine and benzoylecgonine (a cocaine metabolite) in the blood of both toddlers.

Pathologists noted several critical findings:

Serious Bodily Injury: Any amount of cocaine in children of that age can cause serious bodily injury and substantially increases the risk of death.Physical Impact: The drug causes increased heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to death in small children.Environmental Negligence: The cocaine could have been ingested if it was provided to the children or simply made accessible in their living environment.Allegations of Negligence

Investigators detailed a history of concerning behavior and neglect at the residence:

Broken Security: Laura Nicholson told detectives the back door latch had been broken for two days and would not lock, despite knowing the children were “always getting out and running to the pool”.Lack of Supervision: Nicholson admitted she was asleep on the couch while the children were playing. Her father, David Nicholson, told investigators that while she was a fit mother, she “falls asleep a lot and this causes issues”.Prior Warnings: Records show Nicholson had been questioned by Child Protective Services (CPS) last year regarding drug allegations.Arrest and Extradition

Texas authorities officially filed two charges of Reckless Injury to a Child – Serious Bodily Injury on May 8, 2026. By that time, Nicholson had left the state.

She was tracked down by the U.S. Marshal’s Florida/Caribbean Fugitive Task Force at a mental health facility in Southwest Florida. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno confirmed she is being held without bond as a fugitive as she awaits extradition back to Harris County to face the charges.

“In Lee County, Florida, we will hunt you, we will find you, and we will charge you,” Sheriff Marceno said.

The Sheriff said this case highlights the importance of law enforcement cooperation across state lines.

WINK Investigates will keep you updated as the extradition process moves forward.