GUILTY PA - Five Dead from Domestic Violence, Bucks County, 25 Feb 2019 *Arrests*

[realanastasia]

Confused. "District Attorney Matt Weintraub said Shana and Dominique Decree would have faced the death penalty were it not for their severe mental illness."

So they determined the killers had severe mental illness, but still gave them life in prison? If they really had gotten brainwashed by some cult and were mentally kill, I find that sentence surprising. I'd think they would at least have some chance at rehabilitation, no? Wish they'd explain the whole reasoning behind the murders. It just makes no sense with the little info we're given beyond the victims supposedly wanting to die.

I could not agree more! I have heard of people pleading “not guilty by reason of mental illness” and others being found guilty but having their mental impairment considered as a mitigating factor in sentencing, but I don’t recall hearing of anything similar to this, where the two defendants were acknowledged to have had mental illnesses when they committed the crime but were still handed sentences of life imprisonment (as opposed to being permanently committed to a correctional facility for those with mental illnesses).

 

[Loudmouth]

What I've gathered from articles and one relative is that both Shana and Dominique have struggled with mental illness for a long time. Shana was able to convince Jamila and Dominique that the house was full of demons and that she could hear them. That's where the whole "cult" thing came from, but the prosecutor says it was more about mental illness than Shana being a cult leader.

Dominique and Shana both lied to the police about who committed the murders because they knew that killing is wrong even though they felt they had to obey the demons telling them to kill. So they're guilty but mentally ill instead of insane.

 

[Loudmouth]

What I've gathered from articles and one relative is that both Shana and Dominique have struggled with mental illness for a long time. Shana was able to convince Jamila and Dominique that the house was full of demons and that she could hear them. That's where the whole "cult" thing came from, but the prosecutor says it was more about mental illness than Shana being a cult leader.

Dominique and Shana both lied to the police about who committed the murders because they knew that killing is wrong even though they felt they had to obey the demons telling them to kill. So they're guilty but mentally ill instead of insane.

 

[Loudmouth]

I'm wondering if the prison system will house the two women together? Especially with Shana having such a strong influence over Dominique. Or will they be sent to different prisons and never see each other again?

 

[lightofmine99]

Hard to believe this was four years ago. I remember getting on Facebook one day and a news article about this was the first post in my feed. I'm not even remotely local, it was just a coincidence.