A Pennsylvania family of three is dead in an apparent murder-suicide, and authorities believe the couple's daughter convinced them to kill themselves. Police found James Daub, 62, Deborah Daub, 59, and Morgan Daub, 26, dead in the backyard of their York home on January 25, while responding to a call for a welfare check requested by a neighbor.
At the time of the discovery, police found several suicide notes detailing the family's months-long plans to carry out the double murder-suicide. Now, police suspect Morgan may have persuaded her parents to engage in the pact based on her ultra-religious Christian beliefs, according to the New York Post.
Police are calling the deaths a 'tragedy.'
The bodies were found in the backyard of the family's home. All three died of gunshot wounds with only Morgan's believed to be self-inflicted. The neighbor who called police reported that he heard three gunshots in quick succession a little before midnight, according to the NY Post.
"The only word that keeps coming to my mind is tragedy," Detective Timothy Fink of the West Manchester Township Police Department said, according to People.
The suicide notes are dated as far back as April 2022.
According to the notes, Morgan allegedly told her parents that she wanted to take her own life and they made a "joint decision" to die together. Morgan reportedly chose the date they would act out the pact based on a Bible verse.
"After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh," Samuel 1:24-28, is the verse mentioned in one of the suicide notes written by Deborah, according to the NY Post.
The pact may have initially been just between Deborah and Morgan.
In her letters, Deborah mentions that she felt she needed to be with Morgan and that the family had been faced with "evil."
"The rest of the letter seems to be directed to or about God and to her husband, James Daub. The letter reads as if she expects James to survive them after their passing," police said in a statement.
A letter written by James indicated that he was not originally part of the plan, but decided to join his wife and daughter rather than continue living without them.
"In the early parts of the letter James says that he is not ready to end his life but by the end of the letter it is evident that he had then decided to do so," police said, according to the NY Post.
Morgan did not write any of the suicide notes, but did write a checklist.
While police say they did not find any of the suicide notes to have been written by Morgan, they did recover a checklist of things to do prior to following through on the murder-suicide pact.
Some of the items on the list including speaking to her father, clipping her dog's nails, and writing letters to family. They also reportedly left letters containing instructions for their surviving family members.
The family was known to be of devout Christian faith.
Prior to her death, Morgan had a YouTube account she used to recite Bible passages and on which she referred to herself as, "a prophet of the most high God," according to the York Dispatch, which described one of her most recent monologues on the video sharing platform as "defiant," "somber," and "snarky."
Neighbors reported some strange behaviors.
It was well-known in the community that the Daubs were staunch when it came to their religious beliefs.
"Morgan didn’t have a lot of words to say," said Bret Stabley, owner of a bowling shop the family patronized, according to NBC News. He also described her as "very meek and quiet," and said that she had been homeschooled.
Stabley said the family "was never shy about letting anybody know what their beliefs were," and that they were huge Donald Trump supporters. "They were just so hell-bent on Trump winning, like this could be in the end if he doesn’t," Stabley said, adding that he stopped seeing James and Deborah after that encounter.
Another neighbor who asked to remain anonymous, told NBC News that the family was preoccupied with their religion, "especially on the dad’s part."
"When I interacted with them in person, they kept it under wraps," the neighbor said. "I didn’t see that break through the surface at all."
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
