Sonia Blanchette : Quebec woman accused of killing her children is dead

The Quebec woman charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children has died after refusing to eat.

Rene Verret says Sonia Blanchette has died but he is not confirming a Radio-Canada report she starved herself to death in a Montreal hospital.

Sonia Blanchette was to appear in court on Friday to have a date set for her first-degree murder trial.

She was charged in the December 2012 deaths of Lorelie, 5, Loic, 4, and Anais, 2.

They were found dead in her apartment in Drummondville, midway between Montreal and Quebec City.

A coroner ruled the two youngest children drowned while the oldest child was killed by a combination of strangling and drowning.

Agencies/Canadajournal