(DANA VERKOUTEREN/Associated Press)This artist's courtroom sketch shows Banita Jacks during her appearance Thursday at the District of Columbia Superior Court in Washington. Jacks, found in her home with the decomposing bodies of four girls was charged Thursday with murder after reportedly telling investigators that the children were possessed by demons and died in their sleep.
Mother Charged in 4 D.C. Girls' Deaths
Thursday, January 10, 2008
By SARAH KARUSH, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, January 10, 2008
By SARAH KARUSH, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON — A mother found in her home with the decomposing bodies of her four daughters was charged Thursday with murder after reportedly telling investigators that the children were possessed by demons and died in their sleep.
Banita Jacks, 33, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and appeared in District of Columbia Superior Court. She told police that the deaths occurred before a utility turned off her electricity, which prosecutors said was in September 2007, according to charging documents.
The bodies of the girls _ ages 5 to 17 _ were found Wednesday when deputy U.S. marshals served an eviction notice at the apartment in southeast Washington.
"I don't think anyone in the city can remember a case involving this many young people who have died in such a tragic way," Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said.
Jacks told investigators that the children were possessed by demons and began dying in their sleep, one by one, within a seven-day period, documents say. She also said she had not fed her children for a substantial time before their deaths.
Medical examiner Dr. Marie-Lydie Pierre-Louis said the bodies were in the apartment more than 15 days, "based on the insects that were found there."
Jacks could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
Jacks appeared in court in a white jump suit and sandals. She did not speak during the hearing. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Karen Howze ordered her held without bond. Her attorneys had argued that she should be released to the custody of an adult relative pending trial.
The charging documents identify the children as Brittany Jacks, 17; Tatianna Jacks, 11; N'Kiah Fogle, 6; and Aja Fogle, 5.
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