Woman pleads guilty in exorcism slayings of 2 kids
WASHINGTON — A Maryland woman has been found guilty, but not criminally responsible, for her role in the gruesome murders of two toddlers in January 2014 in what she believed was an exorcism.
Monifa Sanford, 22, of Germantown pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Under a plea agreement approved by Montgomery County Judge Cheryl McCally, Sanford was found not criminally responsible and will be committed to a psychiatric hospital.
Sanford was the roommate and best friend of Zakieya Avery, the children's mother.
According to testimony, Sanford suffered from hallucinations and heard voices, including one that she believed to be Satan, telling her he was going to "kill the babies. If she wanted them to go to heaven, she had to do it herself."
"She believed that she had been initiated into this group of demon assassins," defense attorney David Felsen said.
According to testimony, the two women watched YouTube videos of demons and danced feverishly to ward them off.
"They had believed that inanimate objects had been possessed, there were demons in their house, that they had been possessed individually, that at other times, the children had been possessed," Felsen said.
According to prosecutors, Sanford and Avery killed two children, 18-month-old Norell and his sister Zyana, 2, on Jan. 17, 2014, by choking and repeatedly stabbed them with a serrated knife.
A 5-year-old girl and 8 year-old boy also were attacked but survived.
After the murders, Sanford told police, "I'm glad the children are in heaven, but I miss them."
Sanford has been committed to Clifton T. Perkins Mental Hospital for treatment.
Zakeiya Avery is expected to go to trial later this year.
Contributing: The Associated Press
