Cops investigating consensual murder-suicide of Pennsylvania woman and parents

A Pennsylvania woman, 26, who encouraged her parents into a planned suicide pact was found last week holding a decorative 2.5 to 3 feet long, metal sword inscribed with the words ‘The Sword of the Lord’ on its blade.

The bodies of Morgan Daub, her mother Deborah, 59, and her father James, 62, were found behind her parents’ home on Loman Avenue in West Manchester Township where the massacre took place.

The 26-year-old was found with the sword in her left hand and an empty gun holster on the right side of her belt on the morning of Jan 25 after neighbors saw the bodies and called 911.

A ‘living will’ had been taped to the inside of the sliding glass door of the home signed by all three members of the family, according to a search warrant obtained by AI.com.

The document said that the trio had not wanted to be resuscitated had they been found alive.

Pennsylvania woman, Morgan Daub, 26, who encouraged her parents into a planned suicide pact was found last week holding a decorative 2.5 to 3 feet long, metal sword inscribed with the words ‘The Sword of the Lord’ on its blade

‘At the bottom of the note are three distinctly unique signatures for each name listed about followed by a date of 1/24/2023 written beneath the names,’ wrote Joseph Staley, an officer with West Manchester, on the search warrant.

James and Deborah’s deaths were ruled as homicides by the York Country Coroner Pamela Gay, while Morgan’s death has been ruled a suicide.

Police have not confirmed who killed whom and in what order, however all three died from gunshot wounds to the head. Despite finding the knife, no cutting injuries were found.

The black and silver ‘Sword of the Lord,’ a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer AR-15, and 9mm shell casings and bullet fragments were collected from the scene, according to the outlet.

Suicide notes, documenting important financial information as well as notes from the Bible were also found in the trash.

Police also found a document called ‘Cooper’s Dog Letter,’ which was a list of detailed instructions about how to care for the dog they left behind drugged so it would not bite first responders.

Snowfall had initially hidden a handgun which was later located in the backyard by officials.

Gunshots rang out in the quiet neighborhood on the morning of Jan 25 prompting police to descend on the Daub family home after a call from a concerned neighbor.

Morgan Daub, 26, pictured in a clip from one of her YouTube videos, was found dead with her mom, Deborah, 59, and dad, James, 62, with single gunshots to their heads

Months before the killings, Daub posted a video to YouTube in which she claimed to ‘abdicate the throne of the United Kingdom’ and referred to herself as the Antichrist

Officers put up a cordon while a white tent was placed in the garden to mask the horrific sight of the Daub family laying lifeless in the backyard with gunshot wounds to their heads.

Detectives who analyzed ‘communications from the family members’ found at the scene discovered evidence that the killings were pre-planned and all three family members appeared to have agreed to take part in the grisly murder-suicide pact. 

Daub posted a rambling video to her YouTube channel on November 26 under the username LionessArising. 

She opens the video with a mock British accent before declaring: ‘I, Morgan Elizabeth Daub, York, Pennsylvania, United States of America, do you hereby abdicate the Throne of the United Kingdom.’

Several minutes later, she adds: ‘This is funny… This was the penultimate plan against me and against God. Didn’t know I was the ideal pick for Antichrist, for the devil.’ 

‘I was the ideal pick for Antichrist.’  

A caption posted beneath the video says: ‘This is a public record of my abdicating the throne and cannot and will not be retracted by me.

‘I was not in any way coerced into abdicating. I am of sound mind and body, and I have chosen this of my own free will. Also, I fully intend to sign official documents at the earliest convenience.

Authorities in West Manchester Township said ‘the three family members had pre-planned their deaths’

A coroners report into the deaths said police were called late on the morning of Jan 25 with reports ‘indicating there were three bodies found in [the] back’ of the Daub family residence

‘For anyone who doesn’t know me and randomly finds this video, it is quite the long story of how I would be next in line for the throne. All will be told in due time.’

Her most recent upload came the day before the killings – a chilling six-second clip with no audio, titled ‘FOLLOW ME AS I FOLLOW CHRIST!!!’

She also posted a 30-minute video in September which said her family were ‘being denied fundamental human rights’.

Read Related Also: Migrants denied access to U.S. as border restrictions remain

‘You will find out why I am such a threat soon enough,’ the caption said.

The local police department said: ‘At this stage of the investigation, we do not believe that there is any danger to the public and the surrounding community. 

‘Final determination of the cause and manner of death is pending. The situation is believed to be an event within the family and officers continue to investigate and collect information surrounding this tragedy.

‘Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and families of the Daubs.’

A coroners report into the deaths said police were called late on the morning of Jan 25 with reports ‘indicating there were three bodies found in [the] back’ of the Daub family residence.

Daub’s most recent upload to YouTube came the day before the killings – a six-second clip with no audio titled ‘FOLLOW ME AS I FOLLOW CHRIST!!!’

Chief John Snyder said that the Daub family had been ‘extremely religious’ and only James was working at the time of their horrific death pact

‘After a detailed investigation and evidence found on scene, including communications from the family members, it was determined that the three family members had pre-planned their deaths’.

According to the York Dispatch, additional written documents left behind by each family member said that Morgan had ‘told her mother that she was having auditory hallucinations which were not getting better,’ lead detective in the case, Timothy Fink told the outlet.

‘Deborah wrote that she didn’t want her daughter to pass on alone, so she had decided to end her life with her,’ Fink said.

‘The letter written by James indicated that they had told him their plan, and he decided that he didn’t want to live without them.’

Chief John Snyder said that the Daub family had been ‘extremely religious’ and only James was working at the time of their horrific death pact.

Property records show that the Daubs had lived at their home for the past 23 years having purchased it in May 2000 when Morgan was just three.

Family friends of the Daub family have noted that the YouTube videos uploaded by Morgan had not been consistent with the 26-year-old people knew and loved.

The Morgan they knew would frequent the local bowling alley, a favorite pastime of hers, since she was a child.

Family friends of the Daub family have noted that the YouTube videos uploaded by Morgan had not been consistent with the 26-year-old people knew and loved. The Morgan they knew would frequent the local bowling alley, a favorite pastime of hers, since she was a child

A coroners report into the deaths said police were called late on Wednesday morning with reports ‘indicating there were three bodies found in [the] back’ of the Daub family residence

‘She really seemed to enjoy bowling. And she was smart,’ said Paula Wolfe, youth coordinator at Suburban Bowlerama to Youth Dispatch.

‘Kind of a quiet girl. Her mother was very friendly. Dad was friendly.’

The bowling alley employee said the loss was a shock to the community.

‘Everybody’s just really sad about it, and just doesn’t know what to make of it,’ Wolfe said.

‘I don’t know that you could ever imagine this. But, yeah, a family that you’d never ever think that anything like this would happen.’

Sherry Wagman, the assistant tournament director for the York/Adams United States Bowling Congress association said Morgan had started to bowl around 8 or 9.

Wagman said the 26-year-old was always keen to learn more about the game and was ‘excited when she bowled well.’

Morgan played with the youth league at Lincolnway until the facility closed in 2013 then moving to Suburban Bowlerama for two years.

‘Morgan bowled in various tournaments while she was a youth bowler and earned quite a few scholarships from those tournaments,’ Wagman said.

Wagman noted that Morgan and her mother would often bowl together.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, the total number of gun violence deaths in the United States equates to 3,730 since 2013 to Feb 2023. 

Meanwhile, mass shootings were at 1,618, mass murder 6 and suicide 2,112.