The Daub Family Tragedy: Inside the Disturbing 2023 York County Familicide Case
In January 2023, a deeply unsettling tragedy unfolded in York when three members of the Daub family were found dead behind their home in what investigators later described as a rare case of consensual familicide. The deaths of James Daub, Deborah Daub, and their daughter Morgan Daub shocked both neighbors and investigators, who uncovered evidence of religious extremism, conspiracy theories, mental health struggles, and a carefully planned group suicide agreement.
The case quickly drew national attention because of the unusual and tragic circumstances surrounding the family’s deaths.
Who Were the Daub Family?
James Daub was born in Germany in 1960 before moving to Mississippi during childhood. A gifted student, he graduated as salutatorian from Ocean Springs High School and later earned a civil engineering degree from Mississippi State University in 1986.
Deborah Ann Kopp, born in 1963, came from a deeply religious family filled with ministers and missionaries. She married James in 1994, and two years later the couple welcomed their daughter Morgan Elizabeth Daub.
Friends and acquaintances later described the family as extremely religious and isolated. Morgan grew up in a strict Christian household where nearly every aspect of her life was tightly controlled. She was homeschooled, restricted from socializing freely, and reportedly was not allowed to date or drive for much of her young adulthood.
Morgan later described herself as feeling trapped inside her own home.
Morgan Daub’s Life and Struggles
One of the few social outlets Morgan had growing up was bowling. Beginning in childhood, she became deeply involved in local bowling leagues and eventually developed into one of the top female bowlers in her area. In both 2017 and 2018, Morgan bowled perfect 300 games.
Despite her accomplishments, Morgan reportedly struggled privately with her identity and mental health.
According to friends, Morgan expressed feelings of gender dysphoria and believed she should have been born male. When she attempted to discuss these feelings with her parents, they allegedly responded with punishment and religious condemnation rather than support.
After completing homeschooling, Morgan enrolled at Messiah University, an Evangelical college in Pennsylvania where students were required to sign a strict behavioral “Community Covenant.”
Religion, Isolation, and Conspiracy Theories
Before 2020, neighbors in West Manchester Township knew the Daub family for their religious outreach efforts. The family reportedly went door-to-door attempting to convert neighbors and often handed out Bibles and hot dogs during Halloween.
But during the COVID-19 pandemic, the family’s isolation appeared to intensify dramatically.
Morgan became increasingly active online, embracing conspiracy theories connected to Donald Trump and the QAnon movement. She criticized public health guidelines and posted bizarre claims online, including false conspiracy theories involving COVID-19 and hidden spiritual warfare.
Morgan eventually launched a public YouTube channel called “LionessArising,” where she mixed conspiracy theories with religious declarations and apocalyptic ideas. By late 2022, her videos had become increasingly alarming.
In one video, Morgan claimed she was abdicating the throne of England because becoming queen would make her the Antichrist. In another, she declared herself “the prophet of the most high God.”
Police later described the videos as strong evidence of severe mental health deterioration within the family.
The Family’s Suicide Pact
By spring 2022, Morgan reportedly began telling her mother that she was hearing voices and believed death was the only way to escape the evil forces targeting their family.
Instead of seeking outside intervention, Deborah appeared to embrace the belief system alongside her daughter.
Investigators later recovered writings showing Deborah agreed to die with Morgan, writing that she believed she “had to be with her.” James initially resisted the idea but eventually agreed to participate as well after learning of Morgan’s intentions.
According to notes left behind, Morgan selected the family’s execution date based on a Bible verse.
On January 24, 2023, Morgan uploaded a final six-second YouTube video reading: “FOLLOW ME AS I FOLLOW CHRIST!”
That same day, the family prepared meticulously for their deaths:
They left wills and personal documents inside the home
They arranged care instructions for their dog
They sedated the dog and clipped its nails
They taped a signed living will to a sliding glass door requesting no life-saving measures
How the Daub Family Died
Late on the night of January 24, 2023, the three family members walked into the backyard of their home on Loman Avenue in York County. All three wore hearing protection, while Deborah and Morgan carried firearms in hip holsters.
A nearby neighbor later reported hearing three gunshots around midnight.
The next morning, police responding to a welfare check discovered the bodies arranged in a straight line in the backyard. Morgan was found closest to the porch holding a sword inscribed with the words “Sword of the Lord.”
Investigators later pieced together the likely sequence of events through suicide notes:
James reportedly could not bring himself to pull the trigger, so Deborah shot him
Deborah then became unable to continue, so Morgan shot her
Morgan then died by suicide herself
The York County Coroner ruled James and Deborah’s deaths homicides and Morgan’s death a suicide. All three died from gunshot wounds to the head.
A Rare Case of Consensual Familicide
Investigators later described the Daub family deaths as an extremely unusual case of consensual familicide, in which parents willingly allowed their child to participate in ending their lives before taking her own.
West Manchester Township Police Chief John Snyder called the case unlike anything he had seen during more than three decades in law enforcement.
The tragedy sparked broader discussions about:
Mental health crises and untreated psychosis
Social isolation during the pandemic
Religious extremism
Conspiracy theory radicalization
The emotional dangers of online echo chambers
For neighbors and community members, the deaths left behind overwhelming grief and lingering questions about whether intervention could have prevented the tragedy.
