She was born and raised in Mid-Michigan. An Army recruiter has been arrested and charged.
Stephanie Hershman, formerly Gonyea, was just 27 years old. Her sons Jathan and Jaylon were 3 years old and and 1 year old.
Their bodies were found last night inside the Hershman's home in Manchester, Tennessee. That's about 65 miles southeast of Nashville.
Hershman's family says she moved there about five years ago. Most of them still live here in Mid-Michigan.
As you can imagine, they are numb. Her father received a phone call Wednesday night. The family is now preparing to plan three funerals and their trip to Tennessee.
Hershman's family in Columbiaville declined to comment on camera, but they shared a picture and ones of her two sons when they were younger.
Hershman graduated from Kearlsey Paro Educational Center and also attended Lakeville Memorial High School.
She and her two sons were found murdered in a bedroom closet in plastic bags Wednesday night. They likely had been dead for days.
Police are waiting for autopsy results to release how they were killed.
Criminal investigator Billy Butler says she was reported missing Wednesday.
An informant contacted police pointing to Matthew Perkins, a 30-year-old Army recruiter who reportedly had only known Hershman for a couple of months.
Perkins was arrested at a Tennessee hotel. Police say he confessed. He now faces three counts of first degree murder.
The children's father, who is in jail, has been notified.
For safety reasons, police say Perkins is being held in a different jail.
