An affidavit of probable cause gives insight into the investigation that led authorities to charge Shana Decree and her daughter Dominique Decree each with five counts of homicide after the discovery of five bodies in their Morrisville apartment.

Behind the door of Unit S-7 was unspeakable tragedy.

Five family members, including a 13-year-old boy and his younger twin cousins, were dead in a bedroom. Two others, who would later be accused of carrying out the killings, were disoriented and in need of urgent medical attention.

The room at the Robert Morris Apartments in Morrisville was so filled with death that it would take investigators time to discover all the bodies, as one 9-year-old girl was found underneath another body.

Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub at a news conference Tuesday stopped short of labeling the incident as a murder-suicide, but said there was a "potentiality" of that being the case.

"As far as what the two defendants contemplated for themselves, that would be purely speculation at this point," said Weintraub, adding that investigators were still "working on some theories" regarding the motive of the killings.

Investigators began to try to make sense of the unimaginable Monday night soon after arriving at the apartment.

While investigators tried to piece together what happened at the scene, Bucks County detectives began interviewing Shana S. Decree and her daughter, Dominique, who were found disoriented inside the apartment and rushed to Jefferson Bucks Hospital in Falls. Those discussions led authorities to charge Shana and Dominique Decree each with five charges of homicide and one count of conspiracy to commit homicide, court records show.

At first, both women denied knowing what happened inside the apartment, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Then their stories allegedly changed.

Dominique Decree, 19, told detectives that an unknown male entered the home and caused injuries to her neck, but she knew nothing else, asking if her family was alive, the affidavit said.

Detectives said that during the interview, Decree repeatedly expressed her wish to die.

Shana Decree, 45, later said the boyfriend of her sister, 42-year-old Jamilla Campbell, of Trenton, who was one of those found dead, entered the apartment with two other men and killed everyone except her and her daughter.

She too spoke about a desire to die and eventually told investigators, per the affidavit, that her daughter, Naa’Irah Smith, 25; her son, Damon Decree Jr., 13; and Campbell’s 9-year-old twin daughters, Imani and Erika Allen — wanted the same.

Talk of suicide began, even among the children, Shana Decree allegedly told detectives.

"Everyone at the apartment ... wanted to die," she told detectives, according to court documents.

Shana Decree then admitted to killing Imani and told police that Campbell killed Erika, according to the affidavit. Campbell, according to Shana Decree, also killed Smith. With help from Dominique Decree, she killed Damon, investigators said.

The version of events told by Dominique Decree had her mother killing Imani, Damon and Smith, according to the affidavit. Campbell then killed Erika by choking her before Dominique Decree fatally choked Campbell, she allegedly told detectives.

While the affidavit describes the gruesome scene inside the apartment — where most of the victims were found lying face up — at no point does it address a potential motive. Authorities are unsure if all the killings happened Monday or over the course of several days, officials said Tuesday.

Authorities realized something was wrong inside the apartment on West Bridge Street when a caseworker with Bucks County Children and Youth got no response after knocking on the door during an unannounced visit about 4 p.m. Monday, the affidavit said. She knew eight people, including the children, lived in the home. Weintraub confirmed the agency had an open case on the family but declined to elaborate Tuesday.

When the caseworker had a maintenance man open the door, they found the apartment in disarray, with furniture turned over, broken glass throughout, and the two women dazed and disoriented in the bed, according to the affidavit.

"Everything was broken up for a reason," Morrisville Police Chief George McClay said, adding that neighbors have not told police of hearing anything unusual from the apartment. "We don't know why, though."

It was not until officers arrived that the true scope of the grisly scene inside began to reveal itself.

"This is one of the worst homicides we've had in Bucks County," McClay said. "We're a very safe community. ... This is something the police really can't do anything about. It happened inside."

While the investigation continues and many questions remain unanswered, Weintraub lauded Morrisville police and county detectives for their swift, thorough work.

"To be able to resolve a case in which five people were murdered within the course of a half a day and have the people responsible locked up and facing justice is amazing," said Weintraub, who had to pause and appeared struck by emotion as he read the names of the twin girls.

The arrests, he said, may not wipe away the tragedy, "but I'm at least grateful to be able to say that everybody out there is safe and not at risk from these killers."

Shana Decree was arraigned at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday before District Judge Jan Vislosky and records show her daughter was arraigned at 12:30 p.m. before District Judge John J. Durkin. With first-degree murder being a non-bailable offense, both women will remain in custody. Weintraub said Dominique Decree was scheduled to appear before the judge via video as she continued to receive medical treatment. The woman was under watch by authorities while hospitalized, he added.

Weintraub said it may take a few weeks for the causes of death to be determined as toxicology reports were ordered.

On Tuesday, police also said they found Campbell's teenage son unharmed; they had been trying to locate him since Monday night. McClay said Tuesday the teen recently ran away and was found safe in Willingboro, New Jersey, on Monday night. Weintraub said he was not present during the slayings.

The community has been left reeling by the tragedy. Damon Decree Jr. was an eighth-grader at Morrisville Middle/High School, officials said. The other two children did not attend Morrisville schools, he said.

In a statement Tuesday, Morrisville superintendent Jason Harris said grief counselors would be available to students and staff. A crisis support team from the Bucks County Intermediate Unit is working with students and staff to assist with helping people deal with the tragedy, he added.

"At this point in time, we are still receiving information from our local authorities," Harris said. "Our condolences and thoughts go out to everyone impacted by this tragic event.”

Staff writers Chris English and JD Mullane contributed to this report.