Mother charged in deaths of 18-month-old Payette twins pleads not guilty
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Riley Shoemaker, KIVI
PAYETTE (KIVI) — Andrea Shaw, the Payette mother charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her 18-month-old twins, pleaded not guilty Tuesday.
Shaw appeared in court wearing an orange-and-white striped jail uniform and handcuffs. Her husband, Nate Shaw, and other family members sat in the courtroom.
Before the hearing began, attorneys met behind closed doors with Judge Susan Stuchlik for about 10 minutes.
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Shaw pleaded not guilty to both first-degree murder charges and requested a jury trial. The trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 11, 2027, and is expected to last three to four weeks. The court reserved time through Feb. 12.
A status conference is scheduled for Oct. 15, followed by a pretrial conference on Dec. 8.
Shaw was indicted in June, more than a year after Dallas and Tyson Shaw were found dead in the bed they shared at the family’s Payette home in May 2025.
Prosecutors allege Shaw smothered the twins. Her defense disputes that account, arguing the children became seriously ill after receiving routine vaccinations in the days before their deaths.
Court documents filed in support of Shaw’s request for a lower bond detail the defense’s account of the days leading up to the twins’ deaths. Shaw’s husband said in an affidavit that the boys developed fevers and other symptoms after receiving vaccinations at a doctor’s appointment. The defense has also submitted an affidavit from a physician who questioned whether the twins’ deaths were caused by smothering.
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Shaw remains held without bond after the judge revoked her initial $2 million bond. In July, the judge denied the defense’s request to release Shaw on a reduced bond while the case proceeds.
Idaho News 6 will continue following the case.