Mom, daughter plead guilty in murders of 5 family members in Morrisville
Left to right: Shana Decree, 47, and her daughter Dominique Decree, 21, each plead guilty to five counts of criminal homicide and one county of criminal conspiracy.
MORRISVILLE, Pa. - A Bucks County mother and daughter pleaded guilty in the 2019 murders of five of their family members, officials announced Monday.
Shana Selena Decree, 47, and Dominique Kiaran Decree, will both serve five consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty but mentally ill to five counts of first-degree murder and one county of criminal conspiracy.
Between Feb. 23 and Feb. 25th, 2019, police say the mother and daughter killed two of Shana Decree's other children Naa’Irah Smith, 25, and Damon Decree Jr., 13, as well as Shana Decree’s sister, Jamilla Campbell, 42, and Campbell’s 9-year-old twin daughters Imani and Erika Allen.
The victims' bodies were discovered on the afternoon of Feb. 25, 2019, in a bedroom inside of an apartment on 200 West Bridge Street in Morrisville.
Authorities say autopsies determined four of the victims were killed by homicidal asphyxia, and Shana Decree's sister was killed by homicidal ligature strangulation.
During their investigation, police say Shana Decree told police all five victims wanted to die and Shana and Dominique gave conflicting accounts of who killed who.
Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub provided the following statement after the sentencing:
"Today, we mourn with the families of Erica and Imani Allen, Damon Decree, Naa'irah Smith, and Jamilla Campbell, who were all murdered by mother and daughter Shana and Dominique Decree," Weintraub said. "Were it not for their severe mental illness, both would face the death penalty. As it stands, they both will spend the rest of their lives in prison cells separated from the rest of us, as punishment. "
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RELATED COVERAGE:
- Vigil held to remember 5 people killed in Morrisville
- Officials: Murder-suicide plan behind mother and daughter's slaying of 5 relatives in Bucks Co.
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