A daughter shot her parents in the head before using a chainsaw to dismember their bodies and partly stuff the parts in to trash cans, authorities said Wednesday.
Verity Beck, 49, from Pennsylvania, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of third-degree murder and other crimes in the killings of Reid Beck, 73, and Miriam Beck, 72, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele told reporters.
On Tuesday, at around 8 pm, Justin drove past his parents’ house along the 1100 block of Beverly Road in the Jenkintown section of Abington Township, NBC10 Philadelphia reports.
He later told investigators that while he had received texts from his parents over the last ten days, he had not had any other contact with them since January 7, even though he generally spoke with his mother every day, the media outlet added.
Justin saw that his parents’ vehicles were parked outside the property and all the lights inside were off. He then returned to his home and brought soup for his sister, Verity, who lived in the Jenkintown residence with their parents, because she had complained about being ill, NBC10 Philadelphia reports.
The man returned to his parents’ home at around 9:30 pm and entered the property.
In a downstairs bedroom he discovered a body on the floor covered by a bloodstained sheet, according to the criminal complaint. He assumed that the feet sticking out from the blanket belonged to his father.
Investigators said Justin then called for Verity, who met him in the living room.
During a half-hour conversation, Verity told her brother that things at her home had ‘been bad,’ according to the criminal complaint.
When her brother said that they needed to contact the police, Verity said she needed ‘more time,’ according to investigators.
Justin, who was aware that his sister owned a handgun, then left the property, returned to his own home and phoned the police, according to the criminal complaint.
Abington Police arrived at the house at around 10:30 pm on Tuesday and saw that the lights were on inside. They attempted to make contact with Verity at the front door but she did not respond, according to the criminal complaint.
More police units then arrived and set up a perimeter around the property.
Police then sent a small remote-controlled robot into the first floor of the home to find Verity, as well as a drone to look into the second-floor windows. However, they still could not locate Verity at that point.
Shortly after midnight, three officers entered the residence, to a strong odor inside.
The officers announced they were inside the building and Verity approached them shortly afterwards, investigators said.
‘Where are your parents?’ one of the officers asked, according to the criminal complaint.
‘They are dead,’ Verity Beck allegedly replied.
Police then handcuffed the 49-year-old and took her away from the house. Verity Beck, 49, was charged with double homicide after police found her parents, Reid and Miriam Beck, in “different stages of dismemberment,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said Wednesday.
An autopsy found that the couple, both in their 70s, was each shot once in the head at close range.
Police found the graphic scene at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday after Verity’s brother called for police to conduct a wellness check on the Jenkintown home on Beverly Road. Family members said they had not heard the couple’s voices since Jan. 7.
Upon entering the home, officers were struck by the overpowering stench of decomposing bodies and immediately found Reid, who was “wrapped in a white sheet and comforter.”
“They were also unfortunately able to see that there was evidence of Miriam in the house also, and she was deceased,” Steele said.
Steele could not share a motive for the gruesome crime but said there was evidence that Verity had tried breaking into a safe in the home.
She was charged with first-degree murder and third-degree murder and is being held without bail.
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