Mother Admits to Smothering Her Two Children

March 19, 2010— -- Arkansas child abuse investigators had only 60 days to prove that Dawn Marie Wines suffocated her toddler son last August, but were unable to get the toxicology test back before time ran out. Consequently, they say were forced to return Wines' infant daughter to the woman.

Eleven days later, the 6-month-old girl was also dead.

Toxicology reports have since determined that both children were suffocated.

Wines, 22, confessed to killing both children according to an affidavit released Thursday when she was arraigned in Columbia County. Despite her confession, an automatic not guilty plea was entered on her behalf because Wines faces the possibility of the death penalty.

Detective Leroy Martin of the Columbia Sheriff's Office told ABC News that Arkansas Human Services allowed the authorities 60 days to prove that death of Wines' 18-month-old son Louis was a homicide.

In the meantime, authorities placed Wines' infant daughter Annabelle in foster care.

"The toxicology report wasn't released within those 60 days, so Annabelle was returned to her mother due to lack of evidence," Martin said.

Dr. Charles Kokes, the state's Medical Examiner, told ABC News that while there was a suspicious element about Louis's death, at the time there was "no definitive indication from his autopsy report that there had been foul play. There were other benign possibilities as well."

When Louis sister died, her death "changed the circumstances entirely," says Kokes. "Louis' cause of death rests on the fact that his sister's death was a homicide."

The toxicology reports for both of the children were finished at the same time last fall, indicating that someone had "actively harmed" Annabelle. Kokes said that anti-depressants were found in Annabelle's system, evidence that the infant was being harmed.

Joshua Wines, Dawn's estranged husband told ABC's KATV that Wines was prescribed anti-depressants for post-partum depression.

"She got put on it for post-partum depression. Then when she got pregnant with Annabelle doctors took her off the antodepressants. She seemed fine. She didn't show any signs of depression at all," he said.