A 45-year-old woman and her teenage daughter are behind bars in Pennsylvania after killing five relatives including three children inside their home after they alleged everyone was talking about suicide.
According to Action News, the mother and daughter have confessed to the crime. Shana Decree, 45 was arraigned on five counts of murder and conspiracy charges and is being held without bail. Her 19-year-old daughter Dominique is expected to be arraigned on the same charges.
The five family members killed have been identified as, Shana Decree’s children, Naa’Irah Smith, 25, and Damon Decree Jr., 13, both of Morrisville, Shana’s sister, Jamilla Campbell, 42, of Trenton, New Jersey, and Campbell’s 9-year-old twin daughters, Imani, and Erika Allen.
According to the affidavit, the bodies were found Monday after an unsuccessful welfare check. Once the maintenance worker was able to gain access to the apartment, he found the two women Shana and Dominique Decree in bed who were both taken to the hospital.
Police initially saw four bodies in a small bedroom and later discovered a fifth body underneath another body.
“This is a terrible tragedy. I just spoke with the family of the five of the deceased and we’re all heartbroken,” Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said during a Monday night press conference.
Dominique told police she lived in the home with her mother Shana, her sister Naa’Irah, her 13-year-old brother Damon, her aunt Jamilla Campbell, and Campbell’s twin daughters.
Authorities say Dominique had visible injuries to her neck and, at first, denied knowing what happened. She claimed that an unknown male hurt her and she kept repeating she wanted to die.
The affidavit indicates that later, Shana told police everyone in the apartment, including the 9-year-old twins and 13-year-old, wanted to die and was talking about suicide.
Police say Shana also gave them an account of who did the killings, which was different from her daughter’s version of events, saying Dominique helped her with one of the killings and that Campbell killed Smith.
Authorities, who were worried about Jamilla Campbell’s 17-year-old son, Joshua Campbell’s safety were able to locate him Tuesday morning. He is not considered a suspect.
