Police found a mother and two young girls dead in a suspected murder-suicide, while heartbroken neighbours said they had not seen the victims playing outside in weeks.
Jennifer Barney, 37, was found dead alongside her daughters Harmony May West, 11, and Hope Marie West in their apartment in Mechanic Falls, Maine, on Saturday.
The bodies were discovered on Hope’s seventh birthday, although it is unclear when she was killed.
The mother’s death was ruled a suicide, while the girls’ cause of death was determined to be homicide.
Police conducted a welfare check at 3:30 p.m. on July 27, after a U-Haul truck rented in the mother’s name had not been returned. Neighbors told police the mother had not been returned. Sun Diary who hadn’t seen the girls playing in their yard or on their trampoline in weeks.
Police found the moving truck outside their home. Upon entering their second-floor apartment, they discovered the bodies of the three family members, who had been dead for several days.
Autopsies on the two girls revealed one died from multiple stab wounds while the other died from multiple injuries, Shannon Moss, a spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said Friday.
Police in Maine discovered the bodies of a mother and her two daughters in their apartment after neighbors requested a welfare check on the family.
Police found Jennifer Barney, 37, dead along with her two daughters, Harmony Mae West, 11 (right) and Hope Marie West, 6 (left), in their second-floor apartment. The mother’s death was ruled a suicide, while the girls’ cause of death was ruled a homicide.
DPS did not specify which girl died from the stab wounds. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is still working to positively identify the three victims.
The family’s dogs, a Doberman pinscher and another small dog, were removed by the Animal Control officer until next of kin could be contacted to determine the pet’s location.
A Sun Journal reporter who visited the residence noticed a rent due notice posted on the front door, dated July 17.
“We’re all in shock. Dismayed. Devastated,” grandmother Davina Wilcox told the local CBS affiliate. WGME‘I never imagined in a million years that I would have to bury my grandchildren.’
‘Everyone who knew them loved them. Harmony loved unicorns. Her favorite color was pink. She loved wearing makeup and dressing up. She had lots of friends at school.’
Police conducted a welfare check at 3:30 p.m. on July 27 after a U-Haul truck rented in the mother’s name was not returned. Neighbors told the Sun Journal they had not seen the girls playing in their yard or on their trampoline in weeks.
Police found the moving truck outside their home. Upon entering their second-floor apartment, they discovered the bodies of the three family members, who had been dead for several days.
Hope would have been seven years old the day her body was discovered.
“Esperanza. She was beautiful. She loved cats. Everything to do with kittens and cats. Her favorite color was purple. And she adored her sister,” Wilcox said.
Neighbors said they knew something was wrong when the two girls were not seen playing on their beloved trampoline for two weeks. They had also not attended summer school.
“It was always so cute to see those little blonde heads jumping up and down on that trampoline, and I’ll definitely miss it,” neighbor Devon said. “They were such sweet, kind little girls.”
Wilcox said the mother and two girls had lived happily with her for a short time until they moved into their own space a few years ago.
“If she would have said something, we would have helped her,” Wilcox said. “Everyone would have helped.”
Neighbors also said they did not know the family well because the mother was very reserved.
A memorial has been placed outside the multi-family apartment, with flowers and stuffed animals lining the home’s steps.
A neighbor told the Sun Journal that the mother had been making deliveries for DoorDash to keep the family afloat since she could take her children in the car with her.
The girls’ father, James Lee West, 31, died unexpectedly in 2019.
Autopsies on the two girls revealed one died from multiple stab wounds while the other died from multiple injuries, Shannon Moss, a spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said Friday.
Hope (pictured) would have been seven years old the day her body was discovered.
Originally from Nevada, he moved to Maine in 2012 and was residing in Casco at the time of his passing.
Her obituary described her two daughters, Hope and Harmony, as the center of her world.
TO GoFundMe It was created by the girl’s great-uncle, Dan Parrot, to help with funeral expenses.
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