A grandmother has admitted to killing her three grandchildren and her disabled daughter with a last supper laced with poison.

The incident took place in the village of Aleksandrovka, in the Marksovsky district of the Saratov region, in south-western Russia, in December 2021, with investigators now releasing her confession after it was first believed that the deaths had been caused by the house being coated in insect poison.

But the suspect, Lidia Viktorovna Shiryaeva, has now reportedly confessed to poisoning them to death.

The 49-year-old granny reportedly confessed to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Saratov Region and said: “I knew that my husband had poison in the glove compartment of the car, and I began to cook dinner on the 11th.

“I asked my grandchildren what they wanted, they said noodles in milk. Here in this pan I cooked milk soup, I took milk from the refrigerator, the noodles were in the closet, and I added salt for taste when it was cooked.

“Then I put it next to the sink to cool the noodles. When everyone was distracted and was not paying attention to me, I went outside and brought a package of poison, added it, stirred, put it on a plate for the children on the table, and gave it to my daughter at another table. I fed them these noodles.”

Two of the young children have been named as Mikhail, 3, and Margarita, 5. They are said to have died immediately, with a third child, an unnamed 7-year-old boy, later dying in intensive care. The 23-year-old disabled girl, reportedly the children’s aunt and who had cerebral palsy, also died in intensive care.

The father of the dead children has been named as factory worker Alexander Shiryaev, 27. He has reportedly said that he does not believe that his mother could have committed the crimes.

The gran reportedly lost her husband, not named, a few months prior to the incident.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Saratov Region said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “A resident of the Marksovsky district, accused of committing a crime against minors, at the request of the investigator, a measure of restraint in the form of detention was chosen.

“The Department for the Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Saratov Region continues to investigate the criminal case against a 49-year-old resident of the Marksovsky District for committing a crime under paragraph 1 of Art. “a, c” part 2 of Art. 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (murder of two or more persons, including minors, who are in a helpless state).

“According to the investigation, on December 11, 2021, a 49-year-old resident of the village of Aleksandrovka, Marksovsky district, Saratov region, while at her place of residence, with the aim of causing death to her young grandchildren aged 3, 5, 7, as well as a 23-year-old disabled daughter, due to a sudden personal hostile relationship, she mixed a poisonous substance into her food. As a result of the unlawful actions of the attacker, on December 13, 2021, the victims died.

“According to the conclusion of the forensic medical examination, the death of the victims was caused by poisoning with an unknown substance.

“On December 13, 2021, investigators of the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case on this fact. During the preliminary investigation, the investigators of the Investigative Committee performed a large amount of investigative and procedural actions, conducted a number of forensic examinations, including complex chemical and toxicological examinations at the Federal State Budgetary Institution RC SME of the Ministry of Health.

“As a result of the evidence collected in the case, the 49-year-old malefactor wrote a confession. During the interrogation as a suspect, as well as checking the testimony on the spot, the attacker showed and told about the circumstances of the crime. She repented of her deed.

“The investigating authority filed a petition before the court to elect the accused as a measure of restraint in the form of detention. Having considered the petition and the materials presented by the investigation, the court agreed with the arguments of the investigating authority, choosing a preventive measure in the form of detention in respect of the accused.

“Investigative actions are being carried out aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the incident and fixing the evidence.”

The Russian authorities said that the criminal investigation was ongoing.