Mom and Son Found Dead with a Note 'Don't let this happen to another child and mother'

A Minnesota mother and her five-year-old son were found dead in a murder-suicide following a lengthy custody battle with the child's father.

46-year-old Gina Summers and her child Jude were found at their home on Monday with a typed note which was apparently written and signed by the woman.

According to reports, in the note, Gina detailed the problems with the system and stated about allowing a child to be ‘ripped from his mother’. The note ended with the message: ‘Don’t let this happen to another child and mother’.

After the boy’s father, Jeff Sandberg, 51, who had joint custody, could not reach either the boy or his mom, officers were contacted. Jeff had wanted to arrange to pick up his son, Jude.

Jeff and Gina had been dating since 2008, they were never married but had their son through in vitro fertilization in 2012 after a series of failed attempts.

 The partners broke up in 2015 and were involved in a cruel custody battle over the boy. Gina was suing him to fulfill a 50% cost of the fertility treatments she went through before having their child.

When officers came to their home Gina and Jude were found hanged in the basement on Monday night. Police also saw her note close by, according to reports.

In the note, Gina wrote about previous domestic abuse and challenges with the system. She also talked about ‘allowing a child to be ripped from his mother’ and ended it with: 'don’t let this happen to another child and mother’.

On Thursday, the child’s father released a statement through his lawyer where he stated that he is now making funeral arrangements for his son just a week after spending time with him on a family fishing trip.

In the statement, Jeff Sandberg revealed that Jude was ‘getting ready for his first day of Ready Start Kindergarten’.

Sandberg also responded to the allegations contained in Gina Summers’ suicide note, saying that his child’s mother ‘refused to participate in ordered mediation’.

According to him, since the start of their custody case in January 2015 when she falsely accused him of domestic abuse, Ms. Summers always found ways of disrupting ‘established father-son relationship, both inside and outside of the Family Court paternity proceedings’.