2 Young Daughters Of World Famous Pianist Slain, Mother Charged In Deaths

FILE - In this 2014 file photo, award-winning concert pianist Vadym Kholodenko, poses with his wife Sofya Tsygankova and daughters Nika, 4, and Michela, at their home in Fort Worth, Texas. Benbrook Police Cmdr. David... FILE - In this 2014 file photo, award-winning concert pianist Vadym Kholodenko, poses with his wife Sofya Tsygankova and daughters Nika, 4, and Michela, at their home in Fort Worth, Texas. Benbrook Police Cmdr. David Babcock said Monday, March 21, 2016, that police have served an arrest warrant on Tsygankova, the estranged wife of the Ukranian pianist Kholodenko for capital murder in the deaths of the couple's two young children. (Joyce Marshall/Star-Telegram via AP, File) MAGS OUT; (FORT WORTH WEEKLY, 360 WEST); INTERNET OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT MORE LESS

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A Texas medical examiner says the two young daughters of an internationally known pianist likely died of asphyxia.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office released the autopsy reports Thursday of 1-year-old Michela Kholodenko and 5-year-old Nika Kholodenko. Their mother, Sofya Tsygankova, has been charged in their deaths.

Vadym Kholodenko, a Ukrainian-born winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, discovered his daughters’ bodies March 17 when he arrived at the Benbrook home the girls shared with their mother to take them to school. Arrest affidavits for Tsygankova, say the girls were found dead on beds.

The 31-year-old Tsygankova has pleaded not guilty to two counts of capital murder. She remains in the Tarrant County Jail with bail set at $2 million.

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This story has been corrected to show that the pianist’s wife is called Sofya Tsygankova, not Tysgankova.

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Information from: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, http://www.star-telegram.com

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  1. I had something snarky queued up, but …no. This story is simply sad and tragic.

  2. Like two weeks ago, TPM. It’s tragic all around, but it’s not new.

  3. I’m going to speculate some sort of postpartum depression at work and that will be the defense but the jury is going to give her life.

  4. More like month-old news. Odd to see it here today on TPM.

  5. Post partum depression doesn’t cause this. This is likely the result of post partum psychosis. I’m not trying to be picky, but working to understand such a problem has to start with identifying it correctly.

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