Mom Accused of Killing Kids Cited Demons

D.C. Woman Charged with Murder of Four Daughters, Found in Her House In 2008; Rejects Insanity Defense

(AP)  A woman accused of killing her four daughters told police in an interview that the girls were possessed by demons and that she got rid of most of the family's possessions to contain the evil spirits.

A District of Columbia Superior Court judge spent a second day Tuesday reviewing a recording of a police interrogation of Banita Jacks. The decomposing bodies of Jacks' daughters - ages 5 to 17 - were discovered in January 2008 when U.S. marshals came to evict her from her southeast Washington home.

Judge Frederick Weisberg was to decide whether to admit the interview as evidence in her trial. Jacks' attorneys want it excluded. They say police were trying to get a confession from her before they had evidence that she was responsible.

Weisberg will decide the case without a jury at Jacks' request.

Jacks' lawyers have urged Jacks to use an insanity defense, but she has refused. Weisberg has found her competent to stand trial.

In the videotaped interview, Jacks said the girls stopped being her daughters and took on the identities of the demons.

"They got so bad," she said.

She said her eldest daughter, Brittany, was possessed by a demon she called "Jezebel," a prostitute who caused suffering and spread disease.

"With demon possession, you are a demon, period," Jacks says on the recording.

Jacks said Brittany would fight her and she had to fight back. She said her younger daughters made horrible "screeching" noises and caused other problems.

Authorities have said Brittany was stabbed to death, while the others were strangled.

Jacks said the demons clung to her possessions, so she had to get rid of them to purge the demons from the house.

But Jacks said she had nothing to do with the girls' deaths. She told detectives that her daughters inexplicably died one by one in their sleep.

"It wasn't me," she said.

When police questioned her about blood they found in Brittany's room, Jacks insisted there was none.

As each of the girls died, they finally became separated from the demons, she said.

Jacks spoke in a faint voice during the interview, at times rambling or pausing. At one point, when detectives asked what she would say if the medical examiner determined Brittany had died of stab wounds, she replied that she would rather consult a lawyer before answering. However, she continued to talk about other things.

Later, after the autopsy report came in, detectives asked Jacks why her account didn't match the finding that the girls were killed. She repeated a phrase she used many times during the interview: "None of this makes any sense."

"This whole story is wild," she added.

[simpletruth12123]

It is strange that when it comes to believing in God that a Bible sits in the courtroom as evidence to all, that God exists as the truth.
Unfortunately the vast majority of those who say they believe in the truth of scripture are only believing in "half a Bible". Because when it comes to the crunch, they don't believe in ALL the Bible, which includes ghosts, demons, angels and spirits. The hyppocrytes are the ones who say the words " mental illness " knowing that no such illness exists as there is no factual, medical, clinical or scientific evidence to prove that so called mental illness exists.
The ones who have to pay the price are the ones who have no reason to lie, because of those who mention two words "mental illness".
Believed in every way of their lives, until they say the word spirit or demon.
Half believers, skeptics and doubters - Demons are very very real.

[eventhorizon9000]

How little most people truely understand mental illness. If this woman is suffering from schizophrenia, and I believe this to be the case, then she was acting on her distorted sense of reality, just as certain as you or I grab a sandwich when we feel hunger. It seems so simple for people that have always lived a life of luxury to just proclaim that "all those poor people should just get jobs" or," She most likely would not have let her utilities get shut off if she cared about her girls", to be said by people that don't understand mental illness. The point here is not that of Ms. Jacks having the drive or desire to protect and care for the welfare of her children, but that of, did she have the presence of mind to even live in a concrete reality? Add to a barely functioning schizophrenic's life extreame poverty and high social stressors and you have a psychotic episode in the making. Tradegy? Yes. Easy answers that can be fit into a quick blog or comment? No. Come on people, think outside of your box and become educated to the complexities that surrond you!!!

[ProudMotherOf1]

Any person that could kill innocent children is crazy but does that give them the excuse? No. You have to be crazy on some level to do your own chiildren harm. She was a miserable person and wanted to take power over her daughters' lives because she had no control over her own. She most likely would not have let her utilities get shut off if she cared about her girls. As a single mother I can tell you the state does not offer help but her family did. She let those things happen. I wish she could get a sentence that could even begin to match the sentence she gave her baby girls

[vietnam2]

This judge will have no choice but to impose a psych evaluation on her. Then the extent of her illness will be known. It is in the constitution that you cannot punish someone who is mentally ill. Refuse a trial shows another side of mental illness. If this person is sentance it will be quickly over turned. But, you smart morons you don't have to believe me just keep track of the story.

[tmittelstaed]

I agree with you 100%. Anyone who displays that kind of bizarre behavior then REFUSES an insanity defense (insisting that they are not insane) is definitely certifiable.

However, the lawyers are almost just as crazy. First they agree that the judge will decide the case. Then they want the SAME judge to rule out some evidence on a technicality. So, if this judge rules to strike some of the evidence how is he supposed to decide the case when he already knows about the evidence that he has struck out?!?

[vietnam2]

Republicans believe in welfare, dems don't. Don't you get it welfare was a democrat problem it would have been abolished along time ago. Futhermore, there was a couple in florida who was allowed to have 14 kids with 12 who has special needs. The house that they lived in was fabulous so I guess it pays to live off the government. This lady has a mental illness. Seeing demons is caused by mental illness and not drugs. I bet you she would pass a lie detector because with mental illness everything is real and normal in that persons eyes.

[azzonie]

The people that bring politics and religion into every news artical are scary. Not only are you making things up but you sound like fanatics as everything is based on politics or religion to you. People kill in the name of both when they become to obsesed. A lot of people here are borderline fanatics and could easily be provoked into violence buy people with diffrent views.

[Kaytisentaset]

You people can't read ! What does religion and politics have to do with this? She killed her four children!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[South-of-Heaven]

this is the sad part of Religion,
something that is kept secret but remains in the open.
Religion should be regulated...

[rhs648]

Why not regulate your thoughts and your speech while we are at it? It may not have any meaning to you, but many Americans hold religion dear to their hearts. These same people house and clothe the needy, offer drug treatment programs, offer education programs, and the list goes on. The Salvation Army is a great example of a Christian group that has done much for millions of people for many years. Yeh, they need to regulate your thoughts and your speech.

[timping1]

Yeah, she has to be terribly mentally ill. I think religion blows, but there are too many religios people who try --and succeed-- in being good people, even if they think they need religion to maintain that goodness. I don't think religion should be blamed for this. Anything, a gun, a baseball bat, atheism or christianity can be used wrongly.

[squeakof2006]

Where does it say that she had any religion? There are those that believe in demons but do not follow a religion. Personally, I think she's crazy. You don't kill 4 kids, especially teens, without being crazy.

[Kaytisentaset]

Hey, you are the only one on the board that makes any sense, what does religion and politics have to do with her situation? She just plain crazy and selfish to take the life of four children! Plain crazy these people leaving comments are insane as well.

[John_Merritt]

Hey Squeak:

Have you ever had teenagers? Those are the ones you want to wring their necks first. (Only a joke!)

What a sad story. Schizoid to say the least, with possibly a little demon possession of her own. Does not need to be any religion to believe in demons.

[ToolMangler1]

by John_Merritt July 14, 2009 10:13 PM EDT
Hey Squeak:
Have you ever had teenagers? Those are the ones you want to wring their necks first. (Only a joke!)





My Dad said they best way to raise kids is by the "bunghole" method. after they are weaned, you put them in a barrel , put the top on and feed them through the 'bunghole'. When they turn 16, you drive in the "BUNG"

Momma wouldn't let him, boy was I lucky!!!! ;) LOL

[cs4466]

Poor Banita. With religion problems like that, you can bet she was a republican.

[klewt]

I really doubt that she cared about politics. Geez! People read what they want into EVERY news article. No matter that it has nothing to do with their particular obsession!

[rhs648]

Use your head. If I remeber correctly, newspaper articles stated that this woman wasn't working. Apparently, she was on public assistance. Why would she be a republican? Aren't repubicans the ones who oppose welfare? Would you vote for a party that is against your interests?

[azzonie]

Why do people have to mention politics even if it has nothing to do with politics? These people scare me as they are obsesed and have very unhealthy thinking habits.

[jankebenzone]

How very Tragic! And then there are the ones who want to legalize drugs!
Just what we need, more " demon hallucinators" running around.

[klewt]

Where does it say that she was using drugs? I suspect the her mental illness is schizophrenia -- which is genetically, not drug, related.

[azzonie]

Where does it say this is drug induced or has anything to do with drugs? Maybe some drugs would have actually helped her.