Keisha Morrison, left, and Kelsey Morrison, right, were killed in their own home in late April 2023. (Screengrab via WNBC)
A New Jersey man was recently arrested in Baltimore in connection with the ax murder of his sister-in-law and niece, authorities say.
Everoy L. Morrison, 44, stands accused of two counts of murder in the first degree as well as numerous "weapons counts" over the late April slayings, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said on Monday. The defendant is also accused of stealing a car after the slayings.
Keisha Morrison, 45, and her daughter Kelsey Morrison, 9, were found dead on April 18 by police officers who were called to a residence on West Seventh Avenue in Rochelle, New Jersey, about a missing persons report.
Their bodies were reportedly found inside the little girl's bedroom, according to CBS News. Sources cited by one New York City CBS affiliate said the victims were found under a mattress.
Media reports initially described the mother and daughter as having been bludgeoned to death. Later reports said an ax had been used.
After some investigation, officers determined that Keisha Morrison's car had been stolen after she was killed, leading law enforcement to track the vehicle, according to the UCPO. The car was pulled over in Maryland where Everoy Morrison "was stopped and arrested for being in possession of the stolen car," the prosecutor's office said this week.
At the time of the murders, Everoy Morrison had been staying in the basement of the home where the killings occurred, authorities said.
A potential motive for the gruesome slayings has not been floated.
At least not by law enforcement.
Atasha Scott, the sister of Keisha Morrison's husband Gary Morrison, shared details with NBC network flagship WNBC in New York City.
According to Scott, the alleged killer had been living in the basement for over two years and had recently been told he had to leave.
"I can't go into details exactly what occurred, but I can tell you she was uncomfortable and neither were nieces with him being in the home, in the basement," Scott told the TV station.
Scott said her brother had made an alarming discovery that led him to call police. After hearing that his daughter had failed to show up for school and no one could reach his wife, he reportedly went home and found several clues: a barricaded door, bloody sheets, a bloody ax, and a half-hearted attempt to cover up the crime.
"On the floor, it seemed like somebody was trying to clean up blood, like it was swirled around," Scott told WNBC.
In comments to CBS News, she said: "When he went into the room he found a crime scene, but there was no bodies."
That's when the police were called.
Hours later, their worst fears were confirmed.
Scott told WNBC that the killer "wrapped them up in bed sheets [and] stuffed them under my niece's bed."
"Unfortunately, Kelsey and Keisha are deceased, and that's what they told us," Scott told CBS News. "Kelsey was a firecracker, strong personality. Keisha was quiet, never see her angry."
The family was reportedly planning a trip to Disneyland to celebrate what would have been Kelsey Morrison's 10th birthday.
"We went partying — she, my brother and I — for her birthday, her birthday month," Scott told WNBC. "This guy was jealous of my brother and what he had. He wanted what he had."
Everoy Morrison is being held in the Baltimore County Detention Center pending extradition proceedings.
"We are appreciative of the collaboration with the local and Maryland law enforcement agencies who assisted our Office in locating and apprehending the suspect," Union County Prosecutor William Daniel said. "And we hope that this arrest can bring some small measure of comfort to all those grieving Keisha and Kelsey."
