Notes left by Daub family members detail how they planned their deaths: police

Teresa Boeckel, York Daily Record
·3 min read
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West Manchester Township Police have wrapped up their investigation into the Daub family murder-suicide, revealing new details about how they planned their deaths.

James Daub, 62, his wife, Deborah, 59, and their 26-year-old daughter, Morgan, were found dead Jan. 25 outside their home in the 2000 block of Loman Avenue. All three perished from a gunshot wound to the head, the York County Coroner's Office ruled.

The investigation showed that Deborah Daub killed her husband, James, and Morgan fatally shot her mother before taking her own life, a news release states.

Days before the murder-suicide, Deborah Daub wrote in a letter that she and Morgan made a joint decision to end their lives, the release states. She also spoke about evil that has been mounted against the family but did not explain further. In other documents, she wrote: "Samuel 1:24-28 Morgan chose the date! I believe I have to be with her!"

The backyard of the home on Loman Ave. in West Manchester Township, where three family members were found dead. The family had pre-planned their deaths, according to the York County Coroner's Office.
The backyard of the home on Loman Ave. in West Manchester Township, where three family members were found dead. The family had pre-planned their deaths, according to the York County Coroner's Office.

James Daub wrote in an undated letter that he was crushed when their daughter told "us" that she must end her life. He wrote in the beginning of the letter that he was not ready to end his life. But by the end, police said, it was evident that he had decided to do so.

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

Morgan also left behind written documents, including a checklist of what appeared to be steps to be taken before ending her life, the release states. They included speaking to her father, clipping the dog's nails and letters to family.

Police found suicide notes, a last will, and detailed instructions for the disposition of assets and the family dog among the documents left behind. Both parents wrote in notes dated Jan. 24 that they ended their lives of their own free will, police said.

"... with only 2 guns & me being shaky, my wife Debbie pulled the trigger for me," James Daub wrote.

His wife said: "I was too shaky, so my daughter pulled the trigger for me."

The coroner ruled Morgan's death a suicide and the husband's and wife's deaths as homicides.

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

Investigators found the bodies arranged in a straight line just a few feet from the porch, the release states. One of the handguns and two shell casings were found next to Morgan's body. The other weapon was found between the parents' bodies, and a shell casing was found near Deborah's body. All three were wearing ear protection.

Authorities did not find any signs of forced entry to the home, the release states. Police did not see any evidence of a struggle or that anyone else was present at the time of their deaths.

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

A resident of the area told police that he heard three gunshots within 10-15 seconds during the late evening hours of Jan. 24, the release states. The first two shots were muffled. The last one was clearer.

"The positioning of the bodies, pistols, and shell casings, as well as the presence of the hearing protection, support the account put forward by the written documents left behind by the family," police wrote in the news release.

Police said this will be the final news release about the case, which is now closed.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Daub family murder-suicide: Notes detail planned order of deaths