New details in Daub family murder-suicide: 'It's horrible, honestly,' says police chief

Mike Argento and Teresa Boeckel, York Daily Record
·3 min read
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In his 34 years in law enforcement, West Manchester Township Police Chief John Snyder had never seen a case like this one before.

“It’s horrible, honestly,” Snyder wrote in an email.

The home of the Daub family, where three members of the family were found dead as a result of a murder-suicide.
The home of the Daub family, where three members of the family were found dead as a result of a murder-suicide.

Three people died in a murder-suicide pact outside their home in a suburban development in the township.

James Daub, 62, his wife, Deborah, 59, and their 26-year-old daughter, Morgan, were found dead outside their brick split-level home at the entrance of a cul-de-sac in the 2000 block of Loman Avenue.

Previously:Police continue to probe Daub family deaths, daughter posted rambling videos on YouTube

Previously:3 family members found dead in W. Manchester Twp. pre-planned deaths: York County coroner

The York County Coroner’s office reported that all three perished from gunshot wounds, the parents the victims of homicide and their daughter, a suicide. The deaths were described as “pre-planned” in a news release.

On Monday, Snyder, in an email exchange, wrote that the deaths occurred the night before they were discovered last Wednesday after township police performed what’s known as a welfare check.

Snyder wrote that neighbors heard “several gunshots” last Tuesday night, but none called police to report it. No suppressors were found at the scene. At the scene, Snyder wrote, police found two 9mm handguns and letters and directions that included instructions for care of the family’s dog.

Police are still investigating and do not know the order in which the Daubs died. Snyder wrote that police speculate that James Daub died first, followed by his wife and, finally, his daughter.

Snyder wrote that the daughter suffered from depression and mental illness. She had posted several rambling, disturbing YouTube videos since September, telling viewers that she had “hundreds of millions of people” after her, including the military under Donald Trump.

She claimed she was nearly being held hostage in her house and her family was being denied “fundamental human rights,” “enduring all manner of harassment and illegal, unconstitutional surveillance.”

The day before the family’s deaths, she posted a brief video that said, “FOLLOW ME AS I FOLLOW CHRIST.”

CBS21 reported that Deborah Daub left a note inside the home saying Morgan was complaining of persistent audible hallucinations and proposed suicide. The TV station reported that a township police officer said Deborah did not want her daughter to die alone and planned to join her in death. A series of letters indicates James Daub then decided to join his wife and daughter in death.

Police found a "living will," which named the three family members, taped to a sliding glass door, according to a search warrant. The note stated that no life saving measures were to be taken if they were found still alive. It was signed by all three individuals with the date 1/24/2023.

Morgan Daub was found with a sword in her left hand, the search warrant states. On the blade, it stated, "Sword of the Lord."

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This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: New details in Daub family murder-suicide: 'It's horrible, honestly.'