Morgan Daub persuaded parents James and Deborah to join murder-suicide pact, police claims
WEST MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA: Morgan Daub, who was found dead clutching a 2.5 to 3 feet-long metal sword, allegedly persuaded her parents to join the pre-planned murder-suicide pact. The remains of Daub, 26, her mother Deborah, 59, and her father James, 62, were found on Wednesday, January 25 in the backyard of their residence in the 2000 block of Loman Avenue, West Manchester Township.
A report by York County Coroner's Office confirmed that all three victims died from gunshot wounds to the head. James and Deborah were reportedly killed before their daughter turned the gun on herself. The death of the elderly, who were both licensed ministers, were ruled as homicides while Morgan’s death was ruled a suicide. The investigators also revealed that Morgan was found with a metal sword in her left hand and an empty gun holster on the right side of her belt. The decorative sword was 2.5 to 3 feet long and had the words 'The Sword of the Lord' inscribed on its blade.
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What did the Daub family’s ‘living will’ say?
The investigators discovered a "living will" that had been signed by all three family members and stuck to the inside of the home's sliding glass door, according to a search warrant acquired by AI.com. The will claimed that if the group had been discovered alive, they would not have asked to be revived. Detectives who analyzed "communications from the family members" determined that the grisly killings were pre-planned and all three agreed to take part in the murder-suicide pact. Some suicide notes, documenting family members’ personal struggles as well as notes from the Bible, were also found in the trash.
In a note, Deborah shared that her daughter had suicidal thoughts and that she even complained about continuous audible hallucinations. "It appears from the writing left behind by the mother that was fairly detailed, that her daughter was suffering from auditory hallucinations and it was getting worse and she felt she couldn't live like that any longer," Detective Timothy Fink of the West Manchester Township Police Department told Fox 43. He also added that at one point the mother decided to take her life and convinced her husband to do the same. "It appears to indicate the mother approached him of the plan and he decided he couldn't live without them," Detective Fink added.
What did Morgan Daub say in her disturbing YouTube video?
Cops believe Morgan at some point encouraged her parents to join the murder-suicide pact, as per a report by People. Signs of Morgan’s declining mental health were also seen on her YouTube channel. Working under the identity of ‘LionessArising’, Morgan shared a slew of disturbing videos on her channel. In one video, she recited passages from the Bible and declared herself "a prophet of the most-high God.” Before that, she had shared another 30-minute-long video claiming her family was "being denied fundamental human rights." "You will find out why I am such a threat soon enough," the caption said.
Detective Fink said he had never encountered a tragedy like this before. "It appeared to be indicative of someone dealing with mental illness," he told Fox. "We've all come to the conclusion that none of us have encountered anything quite like this before."