Banita Jacks, 33, has been charged with three counts of felony murder and one count of first degree murder while armed in the case of her four daughters. The girls decomposing bodies were found in their Washington D.C. home.
The girls have been identified as Brittany Jacks, 17; Tatianna Jacks, 11; N'kiah Fogle, 6; and Aja Fogle, 5. All four had been dead for at least 15 days when U.S. marshals made the discovery. The marshals were in the area while serving an eviction notice at Jack's apartment in the southeast of D.C.
Jacks is being held without bail. Her next appearance in court has been set for February 11. If the mother is convicted she could receive a life in prison sentence.
Jacks claims that her daughter were possessed by demons and died in their sleep during a seven to ten day period. She claims that Aja died first followed by N'kiah, Tatianna and Brittany.
"She said that as the first three younger children died, she placed them side by side in the room in which they died," according to court documents.
She claims the children died prior to her electricity in the apartment was cut off. Records show that the apartment had their power disconnected on September 5, 2007. She admits that she had not fed her children for some time prior to their deaths.
Jacks said she never tried to call authorities to remove the bodies "because she didn't trust either agency and because she thought if she notified emergency personnel, that would cause her more problems," the documents said.
More tests are needed to confirm on how the girls died but from preliminary findings the girls did not just up and die. Brittany was stabbed to death. Aja suffered from blunt force impact to the back of the head and possible ligature strangulation. Tatianna and N'kiah both appeared to have been strangled as well.
The girls were all wearing white T-shirts when they were discovered. Three were in one bedroom while a fourth was alone in another bedroom. The rooms were unfurnished.
A witness have told police that Jacks treated Brittany differently than her younger three daughters. The mother is allegedly reported to have denied the older girl food while feeding her younger sisters.
City officials are trying to determine how four children could have been dead for at least two weeks without anyone noticing they were not around. The girls had been in and out of the public school system. Child welfare caseworkers and the metropolitan police both have had at least one contact with the family.
