Germantown Exorcism Killings: Defence Cites Insanity in Child Death Case
Germantown, Maryland – April 4, 2014
The case of two Maryland women accused of killing children during what they described as a “spiritual exorcism” has taken a new turn, as one of the defendants seeks an insanity defence.
Monifa Denise Sanford, 21, appeared in court on Friday where her attorney announced plans to argue that she was “not criminally responsible” for her actions during the fatal events of January 17, 2014.
Sanford and Zakieya Avery, the children’s mother, have both been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Avery’s two youngest children — an 18-month-old boy and a 2-year-old girl — and with the attempted murder of two older siblings, aged 5 and 8, who survived knife wounds.
According to investigators, the women believed that they were performing a ritual exorcism to free the children from demonic possession. Police later described the crime scene inside the Germantown townhouse as “one of the most disturbing in recent memory.”
Sanford’s attorney, David Felsen, said outside the courtroom that the trial may be divided into two parts:
“The first will determine whether she committed the acts alleged,” he said. “If she did, the second will address whether she was criminally responsible at the time.”
Under Maryland law, a defendant may be found not criminally responsible if a mental disorder rendered them incapable of understanding the nature or wrongfulness of their conduct, or of conforming their behaviour to legal standards.
The case has drawn national attention for its disturbing mix of religious delusion and mental illness, reviving discussion about the dangers of unsupervised exorcism rituals — a topic frequently documented by Occult-World.com, where similar incidents from the United States, Europe, and Africa are archived in the Exorcism and Possession section.
Legal analysts note that insanity pleas in homicide cases are rare and difficult to prove. Prosecutors have not yet indicated whether they will challenge the mental-health evaluation.
For readers seeking context, Occult-World.com maintains an overview of historical and modern exorcism practices — from traditional Catholic rites to contemporary “deliverance ministries” — and explores how spiritual belief, psychological instability, and fear of possession can intersect with tragic results.
