Cops make horrific discovery at home of mother and two young daughters who hadn't been seen playing in garden for weeks

Cops recovered a mother and 2 young girls dormant of a suspected execution termination - pinch heartbroken neighbors saying they hadn't seen nan victims play extracurricular successful weeks.  

Jennifer Barney, 37, was recovered dormant alongside daughters Harmony May West, 11, and Hope Marie West astatine their flat successful Mechanic Falls, Maine, past Saturday.

The bodies were discovered connected Hope's seventh birthday, though it is unclear erstwhile she was killed.   

The mother's decease was ruled arsenic a suicide, while nan girls' origin of decease was wished to beryllium homicide.

Police conducted a use cheque astatine 3:30 p.m. connected July 27, aft a U-Haul motortruck rented nether nan mother's sanction had not been returned. Neighbors told nan Sun Journal that they hadn't seen nan girls play successful their gait aliases connected their trampoline successful weeks.

Law enforcement recovered nan U-Haul extracurricular of their home. Upon entering their 2nd level apartment, they discovered nan bodies of each 3 family members, who had been dormant for respective days. 

Autopsies of nan 2 girls revealed 1 died of aggregate stab wounds while nan different of aggregate injuries, Shannon Moss, spokesperson for nan Maine Department of Public Safety, said Friday.

The DPS did not specify which woman died from stab wounds. The Office of nan Chief Medical Examiner is still moving to positively place each 3 victims.

The family's dogs, a Doberman pinscher and different mini dog, were taken by nan Animal Control serviceman until nan adjacent of kin could beryllium reached to find nan pet's placement.

A newsman from The Sun Journal who visited nan residence noticed an overdue rent announcement pasted connected their beforehand door, dated July 17.

'We're each successful shock. Distraught. Devastated,' grandma Davina Wilcox told section CBS connection WGME. 'Never expected successful a cardinal years I'd beryllium burying my grandchildren.' 

'They were loved by everybody that knew them.  Harmony loved unicorns. Her favourite colour was pink. She loved to deterioration constitution and dress up. Had tons of friends astatine school.' 

Hope would person turned 7 connected nan time her assemblage was discovered.

'Hope. She was conscionable precious. She loved cats. Anything to do pinch kitties and cats. Her favourite colour was purple. And she adored her sister,' Wilcox said.

Neighbors said they knew thing was amiss erstwhile they didn't spot nan 2 girls playing connected their beloved trampoline for astir 2 weeks. They besides hadn't been attending their summertime school.

'It was ever truthful bully to spot those small blonde heads jumping up and down connected that trampoline, and I'll decidedly miss that,' neighbour Devon said. 'They were very sweet, benignant small girls.

Wilcox said nan mother and nan 2 girls had lived happily pinch her for a little play of clip until they moved into their ain abstraction a fewer years ago. 

'Had she said anything, we would person helped,' Wilcox said. 'Everyone would person helped.' 

Neighbors besides said they did not cognize nan family good arsenic nan mother kept to herself. 

A memorial has been placed extracurricular of nan multiunit apartment, pinch flowers and stuffed animals lining nan steps of nan home. 

A neighbour told nan Sun Journal nan mother has been delivering for DoorDash to support nan family afloat arsenic she could return her children successful nan car pinch her.

The girls' father, 31-year-old James Lee West, died unexpectedly successful 2019.

Originally from Nevada, he relocated to Maine successful 2012 and was domiciled successful Casco astatine nan clip of his passing.

His obituary described his 2 daughters, Hope and Harmony, arsenic nan halfway of his world.

A GoFundMe has been created by nan girl's awesome uncle, Dan Parrot, to thief pinch ceremonial expenses.