A Missouri mother has been left devastated after returning home to discover her nine-month-old daughter and her partner dead in what authorities are calling a murder-suicide. On February 28, 23-year-old Micah Lawery had briefly stepped out to visit a beauty store, leaving her baby girl, Ophelia, in the care of her partner, 21-year-old Zacchaeus Daniels. But when she came back to her St. Louis home, she walked into an unthinkable nightmare, KSDK reported.
Lawery found both Ophelia and Daniels lifeless, with police later confirming the deaths as a murder-suicide. Officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police responded to a shooting call at the apartment. Daniels was pronounced dead at the scene, while baby Ophelia was rushed to the hospital. Tragically, she did not survive.
The shocking loss has left Lawery struggling to make sense of what happened. Daniels had reportedly battled mental health issues, but there had never been any signs of violence toward her or their daughter. Speaking about her grief, she described how Daniels had always been “trying his best” to be a good dad, making the tragedy even harder to comprehend.
Family and friends have since rallied around Lawery, offering support as she faces the unimaginable pain of losing both her child and her partner. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help her through this devastating time, and it has raised more than $17,000 so far.
The heartbreaking case has once again put a spotlight on the devastating impact of mental health struggles, with many asking what more could have been done to prevent such a tragedy. As Lawery tries to process her loss, she is surrounded by love and support—but nothing can take away the pain of losing her little girl and the father of her child in such a horrific way.
