Shaquan Duley: Mother Confessed to Killing Her Two Children Before Driving Car into River, Say Police

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (CBS/WLTX) A South Carolina sheriff says Shaquan Duley, mother of two toddlers found dead in a vehicle in the Edisto River Monday, has confessed to suffocating the children before driving the car into the river with the children strapped into their car seats.

Duley originally told authorities that the children drowned when their car careened into the river and that she couldn't manage to get the children out of the car, but, according to Sheriff Larry Williams, the 29-year-old mother later told police that she was "distraught" after a dispute she allegedly had with her own mother and killed 18-month-old Ja'Van Duley and 2-year-old Devean Duley by putting her hand over their mouths.

Williams says that Duley then strapped the children into her car and drove the vehicle into the river Monday morning.

Williams told the CBS Early Show Tuesday that there were inconsistencies in Duley's initial story, one glaring fact being that her clothes were dry, he said.

"For someone who's just plunged into the Edisto River, and has two children, the clothing wasn't damp as though she tried to retrieve the children from the river," Williams said.

There were homes near the South Carolina Shillings Bridge Road where the tragic incident occurred. However, Shaquan Duley walked three-quarters of a mile from the river and found a driver who had a cell phone, according to CBS affiliate WLTX. The driver then called police.

The two boys were dead when the divers got to the car near a rural boat landing about 45 minutes later, said Williams.

"Hopefully upon our presentation of the facts of the probable cause...they will issue a warrant for murder," Williams said.

An autopsy report on the children is not yet complete.

Williams said authorities were attempting to contact the children's father, who did not live with the family.

Duley was originally charged Monday with leaving the scene of an accident. She is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.