Mother Kills Two Of Her Children While Performing An Exorcism

In completely awful news, police have charged two people with the deaths of two young children, a one-year-old and a two-year-old, in Maryland on Saturday, the result of what authorities believe was an exorcism.

Monifa Denise Sanford, 21, and Zakieya Latrice Avery, 28, were both charged with murder in the death of two of Avery’s children. Police also charged the women with attempted murder for trying to kill Avery’s other two children, a five-year-old and an eight-year-old. The children were stabbed multiple times.

Police were called to the home where the women lived on Friday. A neighbor called 911 after noticing a vehicle with the door open and a knife laying outside of the vehicle. Avery was arrested when authorities say she tried to flee from a townhouse near the vehicle. Police found the two children dead inside the home, and their siblings and Sanford were taken to the hospital with injuries.

Police told reporters the children were stabbed during an attempted exorcism, but did not say why they suspected it was the motive.

“Investigators have
learned that the two defendants believed that they were performing an
exorcism. The investigation into this motive and other aspects of the
crime continue at this point,” police said.

Both women are currently held without bail.Sanford and Avery both face two counts of first degree murder and two counts of attempted first degree murder.