A woman and her teenage daughter were charged with killing five of their relatives earlier this week.
Bucks County detectives filed an affidavit on Tuesday morning revealing that the Shana Decree, 45, claimed she killed her relatives because they “wanted to die.”
The mother offered several explanation about the events that led up to the slayings in the Morrisville apartment in Pennsylvania.
Ms Decree was arraigned on five counts of criminal homicide and one count of conspiracy on Tuesday morning. She is held without bail. Her 19-year-old daughter, Dominique Decree, is expected to be arraigned on similar charges on the same counts.
The five victims are identified as Ms Decree’s two children Naa’Irah Smith, 25, and Damon Decree Jr., 13; her sister Jamilla Campbell, 42; and her two nine-year-old twin nieces, Imani and Erika Allen.
A probable cause statement reported that the bodies of the victims were found on Monday afternoon during a welfare check after a county children and youth representative was unable to get a hold of them, NBC10 reported.
When a maintenance worker opened the door to the apartment, they found the home in complete disorder with furniture flipped over and broken glass everywhere. The five deceased victims were found lying on or around the bed in the same bedroom.
“This is a terrible tragedy,” Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub told NBC10. “I just spoke with the family of all five of the deceased and we’re all heartbroken.”
The alleged perpetrators were sent to the hospital before being taken into police custody. The daughter had visible injuries to her neck, detective said.
While at the hospital, both Ms Decree and Dominique claimed to the police that a man, or men, attacked them and killed their relatives.
Soon later, Ms Decree admitted to investigators she was involved in the killings, claiming her entire family said they wished to die. She also claimed the children were considering suicide, according to the affidavit.
“I wanted to make sure everybody knew that the people who committed these atrocious acts are now in custody and [will] be made to pay for their crimes,” Mr Weintraub added.
The police has yet to reveal how the victims died.
