Why?

ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- The owner of a motel where a mother is accused of smothering her two children said the woman acted distracted when she checked in.The Orangeburg County sheriff has filed murder charges against 29-year-old Shaquan Duley. Sheriff Larry Williams said Duley admitted she killed her children by putting her hand over their mouths.Williams said, "She was a mother that was unemployed. She had no means of taking care of her children. She lived with her mother and her mother was, I guess, a very firm individual."He said Duley argued with her mother about the proper raising of her children Sunday night, and it appears it was the last straw.He said, "I believe she was fed up with her mother telling she couldn't take care of her children or wasn't taking care of her children and she wanted to be free."

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Images: Mother Accused Of Smothering Children, Faking Wreck

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Williams said after Duley smothered the children she strapped them into her car and drove it into the North Edisto River Monday morning to fake an accident. The childrens' bodies were found still strapped into their car seats.Orangeburg County Coroner Samuetta Marshall said she found defensive wounds on the 2-year-old, indicating a struggle before he was killed.News 4’s Mike McCormick was in Orangeburg Tuesday, where Duley’s parents refused to make a comment or release any pictures of the children, 2-year-old Devean and 18-month-old Ja'van T. DuleyRenuka Patel, the owner of the motel where deputies said Duley killed her children, talked to McCormick. Patel said that Duley checked in at about 1:30 a.m. Monday and paid the $30 cost of the room with a $100 bill. Patel said she didn’t see Duley’s car or the children.Patel said it seemed like “something was going on” in Duley’s mind when she checked in, and she had little to say.Patel said that Duley didn’t check out. She said at about 8:30 a.m. Monday morning, investigators showed up and had the key to the room. They removed four bags of evidence, Patel said.McCormick said red evidence tape has been placed across the door, and no one has been in the room since.Duley has been charged with murder. She is expected to be in court for a hearing Wednesday afternoon.Williams said that Duley also has a 5-year-old child is now staying with relatives. The sheriff believes the older child was spared because of usually being in the grandmother’s care.