Mother drowns son after sending ex-husband to pre-trial detention

The entire country was shocked by a horrible murder: 46-year-old Alexandra Shalina drowned her five-year-old son in a bathtub. As she explained to law enforcement, the reason was her unwillingness to raise and develop the child. According to the woman, she had long contemplated killing the toddler.

It turned out that this is not the first criminal story involving Alexandra. Before this, her 15-year-old daughter accused her stepfather of rape. MSK1.RU tells everything known about the criminal and her family.

Already threatened to kill her son

As MSK1.RU learned, Alexandra Shalina (maiden name Belova) was born in Yakutia. In the 2000s, she moved to Chuvashia, where she lived for several years. It is known that from her first marriage, Alexandra has two daughters aged 21 and 15.

Later, the mother and children moved to the Nizhny Novgorod Region, where in 2015 Alexandra married for the second time. Her new husband — also named Alexander — worked as a taxi driver. From his first marriage, he had two adult sons — Stanislav and Vadim.

“They met on social networks. Sasha took her and the children to his place in Diveyevo. If I«m not mistaken, they split up seven years ago. After the divorce, in 2020, their youngest child was born,” — MSK1.RU was told by family friend Vyacheslav.

Despite the end of the relationship, the woman continued to live in her ex-husband«s house in Diveyevo and was even supported by him.

Family acquaintances suspected her of sectarianism: Alexandra often took the children on religious tours abroad. On one of them, according to acquaintances, she burned her young son«s documents and threatened to kill him if her ex-husband did not send her money.

“Alexandra sometimes ran away from home, she wanted freedom. A couple of years ago, she went on a tour to Abkhazia, from there she called her husband and threatened: «Take this bastard, or I»ll bury him here in the stones, kill him.« Sasha and his son then went to get the child, but in the end, they took her too,” — recalls Vyacheslav in a conversation with MSK1.RU.

Frightened daughter and sent ex-husband behind bars?

In 2024, Alexandra contacted the police. According to her, her 55-year-old ex-husband had been raping his stepdaughter for five years. The girl was only 13 years old at the time. Simultaneously, the woman claimed that she was allegedly beaten with a hammer by her ex-husband«s elder son Stanislav.

“She called 112 in front of us, called an ambulance. Allegedly, Stas broke her arm, beat her. But she didn«t know that cameras were installed: the video showed that she hit herself. There was a trial, and if not for this video, Stas would have been fired or jailed. She was given a ridiculous fine of one thousand rubles (approximately $10 at current rates) for giving false testimony,” — MSK1.RU was told by Vyacheslav.

In April 2024, the Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Nizhny Novgorod Region charged Alexander with rape of a person under fourteen years of age (clause «b» of part 4 of Article 131 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). He faces up to 20 years in prison; he did not admit guilt.

In spring 2025, hearings on the criminal case began. Alexandra and her daughter stated that they want not only a prison term for the man but also compensation of 40 million rubles (approximately $400,000 at current rates).

“So that I could buy an apartment in Moscow in the future. He threatened that if I told anyone, he would kill and bury all of us,” — the teenager said.

Now, Alexandra«s ex-husband is in a pre-trial detention center. Soon after the court proceedings began, the woman and children moved to Moscow.

“Since she moved to Moscow, no relatives have seen the child. As for Alexander, he is still in the pre-trial detention center. His guilt is not proven, and they can«t jail him — they just drag it out and extend the measure of restraint, haul him to hearings,” — shared Vyacheslav with MSK1.RU.

“My son must depart to the other world”

According to the godmother of the deceased child Lyubov, family friends and the elder children of Alexandra Shalina«s ex-husband appealed to guardianship with a request to check her.

“When she lived in Diveyevo, guardianship came to them, but they were of no use. They gave her two weeks to clean up her house, put things in order. That«s when she packed up and left for Moscow. According to a friend with whom she lived with the children, Alexandra beat her son every day. Well, why did she hate the little one so much?” — laments the godmother of the deceased child Lyubov in a conversation with MSK1.RU.

According to the investigation, on January 24, Alexandra Shalina dragged her son into the bathroom. The woman put a robe belt around the boy«s neck and began to drown him. Making sure that the toddler showed no signs of life, she called the police. The law enforcement officers who arrived found the woman insane.

“She stated that on that day she went to church. On the way back, she began to have various thoughts, — says the source. — Returning home, she went to the bathroom to draw water… She says: «I decided that my son must depart to the other world.» At the same time, she does not voice clear motives. There is no logic in her words,” — a source in law enforcement told «KP».

A criminal case was opened against Alexandra for the murder of a minor (clause «v» of part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). During interrogation, she admitted guilt. The woman faces up to 20 years in prison. Soon, a court in Moscow will choose a measure of restraint for Alexandra.

“As part of the investigation of the criminal case, the accused will be appointed and undergo a stationary psychological-psychiatric forensic examination,” — the Investigative Committee reported.

According to preliminary information, Alexandra may have mental disorders. As reported by the Telegram channel Baza, the mother of the woman and grandmother of the deceased child suffered from schizophrenia.

Last year, we told about Elena Ts. — she killed her six-year-old son and threw his head into one of the ponds in eastern Moscow. The woman was arrested; in court, she could not explain why she killed the toddler. Everything known about this terrible incident, we collect in a separate story.