The Chilling Case of Louise Porton: A Mother Who Chose Parties Over Her Children

When a Mother’s Desire for Freedom Turns Deadly

Every child deserves a loving home, a place where they are safe, cherished, and nurtured. But what happens when the very person meant to protect them sees them as obstacles instead of blessings?

In 2018, the small town of Rugby, England, was shaken by a case so cold and cruel it still haunts those who know the details.

At the center of it all was 21-year-old Louise Porton, a young mother who decided her sex life and nights of partying were more important than the lives of her two little girls, three-year-old Lexi Draper and 17-month-old Scarlett Vaughn.

This is the story of how two innocent lives were stolen, and the shocking investigation that revealed why.

A Mother Who Wanted Freedom More Than Family

Louise became a mother at just 19. In 2015, she had Lexi with boyfriend Chris Draper, and less than two years later, Scarlett with another man.

Neither relationship lasted, and by late 2017, Louise had moved to Rugby, cutting Chris out of the girls’ lives entirely.

Her family initially described her as a hardworking young mom trying to make ends meet. But soon, cracks began to show.

Friends and relatives noticed she was out almost every weekend, drinking, partying, and spending what little money she had on herself rather than her kids.

By August 2017, Louise’s behavior had shifted. She left Lexi and Scarlett with relatives more often, always finding a reason to escape her role as a mother.

To outsiders, it looked like she simply did not want to be a parent anymore.

A Pattern of “Medical Emergencies”

In early January 2018, Lexi suddenly became ill. Louise called emergency services multiple times, claiming her daughter had trouble breathing and had collapsed in the night.

Doctors assumed it was a chest infection, treated her twice, and sent her home.

But on January 15, Louise called 999 again, this time reporting that Lexi was not breathing. Paramedics rushed to help, but the little girl was cold to the touch and pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.

There were no obvious injuries, no trauma, and no clear cause of death.

Seventeen days later, tragedy struck again. Scarlett, only 17 months old, was found unresponsive in her car seat on February 1. Louise claimed she was rushing her to the hospital, but CCTV footage told a different story.

She had calmly stopped for gas, shopped at a convenience store, and delayed calling for help. By the time paramedics arrived, Scarlett was gone too.

Two babies, dead within weeks, both with no signs of natural causes.

Disturbing Clues Emerge

As police dug deeper, Louise’s mask began to slip. Paramedics noted she showed little emotion during both emergencies, sometimes holding a glass of wine as they worked to revive her daughters.

Hospital staff reported that she spent long stretches in the bathroom while Lexi was fighting for her life, later discovered to be taking nude photos and chatting with men on dating apps, even offering sexual favors for money.

Her phone history revealed disturbing searches, including:

• “How long does it take for a dead body to get cold?”
• “Can you actually die if you have a blocked nose and cover your mouth with tape?”
• “How long after drowning can someone be resuscitated?”

Investigators also found a pillow in her home with traces of the girls’ blood.

Forensic experts concluded Lexi and Scarlett had died from airway obstruction, smothered to death.

Justice for Lexi and Scarlett

In August 2019, Louise Porton went to trial, accused of murdering both daughters. Prosecutors argued she killed them because they “got in the way” of her lifestyle. The jury agreed.

Louise, 23 at the time of sentencing, received a life sentence with a minimum of 32 years.

The judge condemned her as “an evil, calculating woman” who “squeezed the life out of her daughters” so she could live freely.

The tragedy did not end there. Overwhelmed by grief and shame, Louise’s mother, the girls’ grandmother, Sharon, took her own life in 2020.

She was only 48 years old and could not bear the heartbreak or the judgment of others who knew what her daughter had done.

A Case That Still Shakes Communities

The murders of Lexi and Scarlett serve as a haunting reminder of how far selfishness can go, and how neglect can escalate into unthinkable crimes.

For the families and communities left behind, the pain is permanent.

And for those following the case, one question lingers: how could a mother choose freedom and men over the very lives she brought into the world?