Mom, daughter enter not guilty pleas to killing 5 family members in Bucks County apartment

DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A mother and her adult daughter have pleaded not guilty to killing five of their close relatives, including three children, at an apartment in Morrisville, Bucks County.

Shana Decree and daughter Dominique Decree sat side by side in a courtroom at the Bucks County Justice Center on Tuesday and affirmed their pleas to charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy.

Authorities found the bodies of three children and two adults in what they said was a trashed apartment in early 2019 and soon after arrested Shana and Dominique Decree, charging them in the deaths.

Both Shana and Dominique face 5 counts of murder and 1 count of conspiracy each.

According to previously filed court documents, 46-year-old Shana Decree and her 20-year-old daughter Dominique told authorities everyone who had been living in the Morrisville house spoke about suicide before the deadly incident.

Inside the home on West Bridge Street in February 2019, police discovered the bodies of Shana Decree's children, Naa'Irah Smith, 25, and Damon Decree Jr., 13, both of Morrisville, Shana's sister, Jamilla Campbell, 42, of Trenton, New Jersey, and Campbell's 9-year-old twin daughters, Imani and Erika Allen.

At the time, grieving relatives gave their suspicions on what led to the killings.

Family members say cult influence might have added to motive for Morrisville murders; Dann Cuellar reports on Action News at 11 p.m., February 26, 2019

"They were all going through something religiously and they decided to drag the kids into it," said the twins' half-sister Destiny Harris.

From his home in North Carolina, Damon Decree, Sr., the ex-husband and father of the accused, said the family had been "talking about demons being all around them."

Decree's 13-year-old son was killed in the incident.

"Apparently they had dissected into some type of cult that they materialized online. I don't know how or what kind of cult," He said.

Decree said this has been going on for the past month and they've called children services.

A Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services Agency worker performing a welfare check at the home contacted a maintenance worker and then police after there was no answer at the door leading to the gruesome discovery, documents say.

Half-sister of youngest victims says Morrisville murders motivated by religion: Maggie Kent reports on Action News at 6 p.m., February 26, 2019

Authorities have said four of the victims were suffocated, while one was strangled.

A motive has not been given.

***The Associated Press contributed to this report.***