Heartbreaking picture shows the smiling four-year-old girl drowned alongside her two brothers

A heartbreaking picture shows the happy four-year-old girl who drowned over the weekend alongside her two brothers as her mom, who was reportedly suffering from post-partum depression, is charged with murdering all three. 

Liliana Stephen, 4, is seen in the photo smiling and playing with a doll in the image.

Authorities announced the charges on Wednesday, two days after Erin Merdy, 30, was found wandering barefoot and soaking wet, 2 miles from where her children were discovered at the water’s edge off of Brooklyn’s Coney Island boardwalk. 

Stephen’s dad, Shamir Small, released the picture as he begins to grieve the loss of his jubilant the little girl was before who was tragically killed. 

Liliana Stephen, 4, is seen here, playing with a doll and smiling, before she was drowned on Monday alongside her two brothers by their mother Erin Merdy

Liliana’s mom, Erin Merdy, has been charged with murdering her three children after police found her soaking wet, distressed and saying the ‘babies are gone’

New York Police investigators examine a stretch of beach at Coney Island where Merdy supposedly drowned her children in the ocean

Merdy faces charges of three counts of second-degree murder, three counts of depraved indifference to human life, and three counts of murder with the victims under 11 years old, an NYPD spokesperson said. 

Relatives have said in media interviews that Merdy appeared to have been struggling with the children and was suffering from post-partum depression.

A visibly distressed Merdy said ‘the babies are gone’ before she was arrested, while NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said the mother had told cops she had a dream about walking her kids into the water. 

‘We believe she went into water and drowned the kids… Regarding the motive, we’re going to leave that up to the health care professionals,’ Essig said.

Jacqueline Scott, told the New York Daily News that her daughter was a good mother.

‘She might have been going through postpartum depression. She was a good mother,’ she told the publication. 

‘I reached out to her yesterday and she said she was doing laundry and I said I wanted to speak to the kids. I tried to call her twice on the phone and there was no answer.’ 

Scott added that she was one of a number of concerned relatives who had been trying to reach Merdy on Sunday night. 

Police were called at 3.15am on Monday morning to reports of a woman, 30, in ‘distress’ walking around barefoot on the boardwalk of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn

‘Bright’ Zachary Mendy, 7, was one of three siblings who was found dead on a beach in Brooklyn on Monday

Police were called to an apartment on Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn, at 1.40am Monday morning after a call from a concerned family member.

The caller said that they believed Merdy may have harmed her three children, and officers attended but could not find the family. 

At 3.15am police received a second call of a woman in ‘distress’ walking around barefoot on the boardwalk of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.

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Merdy claimed that her three children were missing, before they were found unresponsive on the beach two miles away.

The children were found unconscious on the beach, and transported to the hospital where they were pronounced dead. 

The city medical examiner determined Tuesday that 7-year-old Zachary Merdy, 4-year-old Liliana Merdy and 3-month-old Oliver Bondarev died by drowning. 

Merdy was initially taken to the police precinct on Monday but was later driven to the hospital in an ambulance.

Cops had previously responded to six domestic incidents involving the distressed mother, including one on July 2 where she refused to hand over the children to her husband. 

Court records indicated that Merdy had also been threatened with eviction for being thousands of dollars behind on her rent. 

Alfred Brown, Zachary’s football coach, said the last time he saw the little boy was on June 25. He told DailyMail.com: ‘This year he did not play, he was supposed to stay with his dad over the summer.

‘He’d always say ”coach, coach, coach” – to not hear him say it today is just heart breaking. 

‘I called him Zac Attack. His mom looked pretty normal but we can all mask our problems. 

‘Zach was very bubbly, bright, giggly and full of life. The smile on his face was worth the world to me.’ 

Joseph, 60, a maintenance worker in the building where Merdy lives, said: ‘I’m speechless… To go and drown your children – I wonder what was on her mind and what led up to that. 

‘People love their children, was she overwhelmed by the responsibility? It’s just a sad situation.’

Officers confirmed that there had not been a history of abuse or neglect against the children in a press conference

The father of one of the children reportedly told officers at her apartment block, pictured, that  he was concerned for their safety, after their mother made several statements saying she would harm them

Merdy reportedly told officers that her three children were missing, before they were found unresponsive on the beach three miles away

The children, a seven-year-old boy, four-year-old girl, and three-month-old baby were rushed to hospital but pronounced dead on arrival 

Victor Rodriguez, 54, another neighbor, added: ‘I used to see her all the time, her kids would always ask if they could pet my dog. 

‘Everything seemed fine with her but when Covid hit she looked depressed. She wasn’t so friendly anymore. And kept to herself. 

‘It’s devastating, especially when you know the kids. They were very sweet and respectful they seemed happy kids – not a care in the world. 

‘I think Covid had something to do with it. Before Covid and after Covid it was like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – two different people.’ 

An NYPD spokesman added that there were no known prior instances of abuse or neglect against the children. 

Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information on the tragedy to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.