A mother and ex-Marine, Ericka Joseph has killed her 9-year-old daughter, Akili before taking her own life in an alleged murder-suicide in Florida. Authorities after discovering their bodies confirmed the deaths will be treated as a murder-suicide. 


Akili was due to fly back to Bogota, Colombia with her father, Joseph's ex-husband, who had custody of the girl. He had been in Fort Lauderdale and had eaten dinner with Akili the night before, when he came to pick her up the following morning to head back to Colombia, no one answered the door.

He then contacted a family member who then discovered the pair dead in a bedroom. 

Information later emerged that neighbors had seen Joseph close her home's hurricane shutters late the night before despite no storm warning. This would have muffled any unusual noises coming from the home.
Daily Mail