Kholodenko children likely smothered, medical examiner says

The two young daughters of concert pianist Vadym Kholodenko most likely were smothered, the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office reported Thursday.

The ruling on the manner of the children’s deaths was homicidal violence.

Michaela Maria Kholodenko, 1, and Nika Kholodenko, 5, were found dead at their home in Benbrook on March 17.

“The mechanism of death in this case and the companion case is most likely asphyxia,” according to Nika Kholodenko’s autopsy report.

Their mother, Sofya Tsygankova, 31, is accused of killng them. She faces two charges of capital murder and remains in the Tarrant County Jail with bail set at $2 million.

Arrest warrant affidavits indicate that investigators think the girls were smothered with pillows.

Vadym Kholodenko was the gold medalist in the 2013 Cliburn Piano Competition. Afterward, he and his wife moved with their oldest daughter to Fort Worth from Russia. The younger child was born here.

Kholodenko filed for divorce in November, stating that the couple, married in April 2010, had ceased living together as husband and wife on or about Aug. 15. Tsygankova counterpetitioned for divorce in November.

Tsygankova visited a Mental Health and Mental Retardation facility the day before Kholodenko came to the house and found his daughters dead and his wife bloodied from cutting herself, according to an affidavit.

Kholodenko called 911 and reported that his wife “was going crazy.”

When police arrived, they found Tsygankova kneeling on the floor in the master bedroom, “rocking back and forth and making noises.” She was wearing a nightgown that “was covered in blood” and a cut on her wrist and puncture wound on her chest were visible.

In the children’s bedroom, police found Nika’s body, dressed in a zip-up-style onesie on a small bed with pink bedding. An additional pillow on the bed, which appeared to have come from the master bedroom, showed a small spot of biological fluid, the affidavit states.

Michaela’s body was in the master bedroom. A pillow, also with a spot of biological fluid, was found partially resting on her head.

Both bodies, the affidavit states, showed signs of rigor mortis.

Investigators found an empty prescription bottle whose label indicated that Tsygankova had just filled a prescription for Quetiapine, an antipsychotic drug used to treat illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

This story was originally published April 28, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Kholodenko children likely smothered, medical examiner says."