Bio

Zakieya Latrice Avery was born in 1985, according to public records. Reports listed her as 28 years old in 2014. She lived in Gaithersburg, Maryland. She worked as a pharmacy technician.

Avery was the mother of four children. The children's father was Martin Luther Harris Jr., who moved to Los Angeles after they separated. Family members named in news reports included a grandmother, Ida Johnson, and a stepgrandmother, Sylvia Wade.

She attended a small Germantown church called Exousia Ministries. There she met Monifa Sanford. News accounts say Avery and Sanford joined with two other women to form a four-person group.

Court records and prosecutors' statements noted that Avery had past involuntary commitments for psychiatric delusions. In 2014 a judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation.

Avery had a public Facebook page. She posted a New Year message on January 2, 2014. In November 2013 she indicated she was in a new relationship.

Murder Story

Zakieya Latrice Avery and Monifa Denise Sanford were charged in January 2014 in a case in Germantown, Montgomery County, Maryland. They faced two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. The charges related to four children who lived in the home.

The children were Norell Harris, age 1; Zyana Harris, age 2; Taniya Harris, age 5; and Martello Harris, age 8. Authorities said two of the children died and two were injured. The events took place in mid-January 2014.

Police and prosecutors reported that the women told investigators they believed an exorcism was needed to remove evil spirits. News reports said the pair had formed a small group they called the "Demon Assassins." Avery was described in court records as the group's commander and Sanford as the sergeant.

The women were said to have met at a Germantown church identified as Exousia Ministries. The pastor told police the women had not discussed exorcisms with him and that they had stopped attending the church about two months before the incident.

Neighbors made 911 calls before police returned to the home. One caller reported a baby left in a car the night before. Another caller reported seeing a car with its door open and a knife that appeared to have blood on it the next morning. Police said they found the children in a home nearby.

Both women were held without bond and were ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluations. Court records and news reports noted prior mental health concerns for Avery and that Sanford had a history of suicide attempts. Authorities said both women would be transferred to the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center for testing.

The two injured children were treated at a hospital and were listed in stable condition in news reports. The case drew local and national media coverage and led to indictments in March 2014.