Cops: Couple Sought to 'Sacrifice' Kids on Altar

ROCHESTER, N.H. – A woman and her boyfriend are accused of plotting to sacrifice the woman's three children on a church altar (search).

Nicole Mancini (search), 29, and John Thurber (search), 35, were arrested at St. Mary's Church on Wednesday after workers said they heard the woman say she wanted to sacrifice the boys.

"We could tell this woman was not right," said church secretary Donna Landolfi. "She said, 'Let's go make the sacrifice."'

Mancini and Thurber were in jail Saturday on more than $25,000 bail. They were arraigned Friday on three counts each of misdemeanor child endangerment. Thurber was also charged with marijuana possession.

The children, ages 9, 7 and 2, were not harmed and were placed in state custody. Police said Thurber is the father of the youngest boy.

Police said Mancini told them that Jesus sacrificed himself for her, so she was going to sacrifice the boys to free her soul.

"Eighteen years I've been doing this and I've never come across anything like it," police Lt. Paul Callaghan said.

Mancini's attorney, Kimberly Shoen, said her client meant the children no harm.

"They were never tied to the altar, there was no blood, there were no constraints for sacrificial use," she said.

Linda Slamon, Thurber's attorney, said Mancini had been acting "irrationally" recently and Thurber accompanied her to the church to get her help.

"If anything, he was there to protect the children and protect Miss Mancini," Slamon said.

A judge ordered Mancini, of Farmington, to undergo a mental evaluation.