A vigil was held on Saturday night for two Maryland children killed after their mother and her friend attempted to perform an "exorcism" on them, ABC News reported.
Zakieya Latrice Avery, 28, and her friend, Monifa Denise Sanford, 21, were charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the death of Avery's children, 1-year-old Norell Harris and 2-year-old Zyana Harris. They also face two counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection to the injuries found on two other children, Taniya Harris, 5, and Martello Harris, 8, who were discovered at the residence.
Stuffed animals, flowers, and other gifts adorned the sidewalk in front of the house where the children were found. Neighbors of the family said they could have never seen such an incident coming.
"My heart goes out to the children, my heart goes out to the family. My heart even goes out to the mother," Judith Clark told WJLA-TV. "But we did not see it coming."
A second neighbor, Robert Wooden, said the frightening incident broke his heart.
"That's everybody's first reaction, 'Oh, my God, how can this happen? How can you do this as a child.' You don't know what's going on in somebody's mind," he said. "If there's problems going on at home and they're seeking mental health [help] and they're not getting the mental health [help], what can we do to stop it?"
On Friday around 9:30 a.m., officers responded to a call about a "very bloody" crime scene at a townhouse. In a statement released on Saturday, police said that "investigators have learned that the two defendants believed that they were performing an exorcism."
"Cases like this are heartbreaking," the statement continued. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victims along with the 911 operators, police officers, evidence technicians, and fire and EMS personnel that responded."
