Maine law enforcement authorities stumbled upon a horrifying scene when investigating a stolen U-Haul truck after a mother brutally murdered her two daughters, aged 6 and 11, before killing herself. The young girls, described as “the best of friends,” were found dead in their home, leaving the community of Mechanic Falls in shock.
The bodies of Hope Marie West, 6, Harmony Mae West, 11, and their mother, Jennifer Barney, 37, were discovered in the family’s residence in the small former mill town. One of the girls had endured multiple stab wounds, while the other died from various unidentified injuries, according to an autopsy.
Law enforcement officials have not revealed how Barney killed herself. Tragically, Hope would have turned 7 on the day her body was discovered.
Officers arrived at the residence to investigate a report about a stolen U-Haul truck that hadn’t been returned, according to the Mechanic Falls Police Department. The vehicle was found shortly after 3:30 p.m. that Saturday.
“The officer and a deputy with the Androscoggin Sheriff’s Office attempted to make contact with the resident at that address as she was the person who had rented the truck,” Mechanic Falls Police Chief Jeffrey Goss said in a statement. “It was discovered during their investigation that the resident, an adult female, was deceased inside her residence. Officers made entry into the home and discovered two children, who were also deceased, inside the residence.”
The case has since been turned over to state police, Goss said. The family’s pets, a petite white dog and a Doberman pinscher were picked up by an animal control officer, as reported by the Sun Journal. Investigators have not determined Jennifer’s motive behind the crime, but officials confirmed it was a murder-suicide.
The state Office of the Medical Examiner is conducting further testing to learn more about the events leading up to the tragic incident. “We’re all in shock. Distraught. Devastated,” grandmother Davina Wilcox told Portland-based CBS affiliate WGME. “Never expected in a million years I’d be burying my grandchildren.”
Wilcox had recently buried her son, James Lee West, the father of the two girls and husband of their killer, in December 2019. “He enjoyed playing the guitar and time spent with his family and friends, but the company of his two young daughters, Hope and Harmony, was his world,” James Lee West’s obituary reads.
The grieving grandmother described her granddaughters as outgoing little girls adored at home and school. “They were loved by everybody that knew them,” Wilcox told the TV station. “Harmony loved unicorns. Her favorite color was pink. She loved to wear makeup and dress up. Had lots of friends at school.”
A GoFundMe page organized by the girls’ uncle describes them as “the best of friends.” It reads: “Harmony and Hope were the best of friends, and we are grateful they had each other in the challenges they faced in their young lives. Our hearts have been shattered by the tragedy of their passing. Any assistance to relieve the financial burden of this loss and honor the lives of Harmony and Hope will be very much appreciated.”