An Idaho mother who said her toddler twins died last year after vaccinations is now facing two counts of first-degree murder. Andrea Shaw, 23, was charged with killing her 18-month-old twins, Dallas and Tyson, in May 2025. A Payette County grand jury indicted Shaw on June 29, according to court records and a statement from the Payette Police Department.

Authorities allege Shaw suffocated her children in their shared bed at a mobile home park in Payette, Idaho. She was arrested in Boise last Tuesday and arraigned Thursday. Shaw is currently held on a $2 million bond and faces life in prison or the death penalty if convicted.

After the twins’ deaths, Shaw appeared on a podcast produced by Children’s Health Defense, where she claimed vaccines caused her children’s deaths. However, medical experts say the vaccines in question—hepatitis A, influenza, and DTaP—are safe and recommended for children. Shaw’s attorney, Joseph Filicetti, maintains that the twins died from vaccine complications, stating, "They were looking at it as a vaccine death, and that's still what I believe it to be... I'm not a medical expert, but the medical experts I have go through a series of steps when looking at different complications."

Shaw, who had a baby by cesarean section on June 25, is prohibited from contacting anyone under 18 if released on bond. She is also a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit led by Children’s Health Defense against the American Academy of Pediatrics, alleging the group misled families about vaccine safety. The American Academy of Pediatrics has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing its vaccine recommendations are based on science-backed evidence.

Shaw’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 14. The Payette Police Department and local prosecutors have declined to comment further as the case proceeds.

Mark Simone