The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office released the cause of deaths on Friday for the five people found dead inside a Morrisville Borough apartment last month.
The results of the autopsies by the Bucks County Coroner’s Office for the five showed that Naa’Irah Smith, 25, of Morrisville; Damon Decree Jr., 13, of Morrisville, and 9 year old sisters Erika and Imani Allen, of Trenton, died by asphyxiation, while Jamilla Campbell, 42, of Trenton, died of strangulation. All five deaths were ruled homicides.
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Shana Selena Decree, 45, and her daughter Dominique Klaran Decree, 19, both of Morrisville, have been charged with the murders of their family members. They remain in county custody.
A disoriented Shana Decree and seizure-suffering Dominique Decree were discovered late in the afternoon of Monday, February 25 inside a ground-floor apartment at the Robert Morris Apartments on West Bridge Street.
“The investigation into these murders continues with one goal: justice for five people killed in Bucks County. We are committed to seeking justice for Erika, Imani, Damon, Naa’Irah and Jamilla” said Deputy District Attorney Christopher Rees, who is assigned to the case. “We recognize that the public is very interested in this story, and we are grateful for the community’s support. In deference to this overwhelming tragedy, we ask that everyone respect the families’ privacy as they continue to mourn their loved ones.”
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The grisly scene was found when a Bucks County Children and Youth caseworker was checking on the apartment at 4 p.m. on February 25. When no one answered, a maintenance worker for the apartment complex unlocked the door to the apartment. After finding Shana and Dominique Decree, emergency personnel were summoned to the scene. Arriving officers called for medics and the investigation began.
Inside the apartments, authorities found broken glass, overturned furniture, and the bodies of the deceased, police said.
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In an interview with police, Shana Decree allegedly said everyone in the apartment, including the children, wanted to die. She said that everyone was talking about suicide and she took part in the killings with her daughter and sister Campbell, who ended up being choked to death by Dominique Decree.
Dominique Decree, who had injuries to her neck, told detectives that she knew her mother and Campbell choked several of the victims before she killed her aunt.
Police said they found four bodies in a bedroom and later located a fifth victim under one of the bodies.
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The five deceased and the two defendants lived in the apartment, police said.
The news of the killings rocked Morrisville and made national headlines. In the days after, the community rallied together to mourning the loss of the five residents.
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Shana and Dominique Decree are scheduled to come before a district judge during a preliminary hearing in late April.
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