A Maryland woman has pleaded guilty to killing two children while performing what she and her friend believed to be an exorcism.
Despite admitting to first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder, 22-year-old Monifa Sanford of Germantown will avoid jail time thanks to a plea agreement, the Montgomery County State's Attorney told the Associated Press.
Montgomery County Judge Cheryl McCally approved the plea deal, which states that Sanford will be committed to a psychiatric hospital and is not criminally responsible for the murders.
Sanford and the mother of the deceased children, Zakieya Avery, told the prosecutors they were under the impression the kids were possessed by evil spirits. They thought that an exorcism had to take place in order to relieve the children, ages 1 and 2, of the demons.
The women "danced to fight demons" and "spoke in tongues" during the exorcism before killing the toddlers, according to testimony. The children, who suffered deep stab wounds, were choked during the exorcism.
Other testimony revealed the two women believed they were "demon assassins" and had "imaginary boyfriends," according to WUSA9.
WUSA 9 also reported the women believed that "demonic possessed" items, such as the children's toys, could impact the weather and they were desperate to rid the home of demons.
For the news station's full report, which includes a complete court proffer with graphic deatails of the case, click here.
