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Mother And Daughter Allegedly Killed 5 Family Members, Claimed They All ‘Wanted To Die’
Shana and Dominique Decree were found in bed and disoriented and initially blamed the killings on three men they claimed entered the apartment and murdered their family, including a set of 9-year-old twins.
A Pennsylvania mother and daughter have been accused of killing five family members, including three children, with the mom allegedly telling police that they all “wanted to die."
Shana Selena Decree, 45, and Dominique Klaran Decree, 19, have been charged with five counts of criminal homicide and one count of conspiracy to commit criminal homicide after prosecutors allege the pair plotted to kill five members of their family, according to a statement from the Buck’s County District Attorney’s office.
The women are accused of killing Shana’s children Naa’Irah Smith, 25, and Damon Decree Jr., 13, along with Shana’s sister Jamilla Campbell, 42, and Campbell's 9-year-old twin daughters, Imani and Erika Allen.
"This is a terrible tragedy," Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said at the scene Monday night according to WCAU. "I just spoke with the family of all five of the deceased and we're all heartbroken."
Police discovered all five dead bodies in a bedroom of a Morrisville apartment Monday afternoon, after being asked to conduct a welfare check on the home by a Bucks County Children and Youth representative who had arrived at the home for an unannounced visit and became concerned when no one answered the door, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The caseworker requested that the apartment building’s maintenance worker check on the apartment, where eight family members were living at the time.
The maintenance worker, identified as Bud Miller, discovered two women “disoriented” in a bed and found the apartment in disarray with furniture overturned and broken glass and “clutter” throughout, the affidavit said. He immediately called Morrisville Police.
The two women, who were later identified as Shana and Dominique, were taken to the hospital while investigators searched the apartment.
They discovered the bodies of what was initially thought to be four victims all in one bedroom of the apartment, some lying on the bed and others lying on the floor. Police would discover the fifth body underneath another victim’s body lying near the bed.
At the hospital, investigators interviewed both women about what had happened at the apartment.
Dominique, who reportedly had “visible injuries” to her neck, initially claimed she didn’t know what happened but said an unknown black male had injured her neck and asked officers whether her other family members were ok.
“She also repeatedly advised her wish to die,” the affidavit states.
Shana, who was being interviewed in a separate exam room, also initially said she didn’t know what happened but later allegedly told officers that her sister Jamilla’s boyfriend had come into the apartment with two other males and killed everyone, according to the affidavit.
After investigators told Dominique that she didn’t need to be afraid of naming the person who committed the crimes and shared that her mother had already told investigators, Dominique also allegedly told officers that the crimes had been committed by Jamilla’s boyfriend and two other men, police said.
However, Shana would later allegedly tell police that everyone living in the apartment, including the children had wanted to die and had talked of suicide, the affidavit said.
She allegedly confessed to killing one of the family members and claimed her sister Jamilla had killed two people, before Shana and Dominque killed a fourth family member together. She also allegedly told police that Dominque had then killed Jamilla.
Dominque allegedly also confessed to the killings, telling officers that her mother had killed three people, while Jamilla had choked one of the other family members to death, the affidavit said. Dominique also told officers she ended up choking Jamilla.
Police allege in the affidavit that the pair conspired together to plan the homicides.
One of Campbell’s other children was not home when police found the bodies and was later found safe, prosecutors said.
Shana was arraigned and is being held with out bail. Dominque’s arraignment is Tuesday.
