Witchcraft Blamed in Murder of Sioux City Girls

 

A mother mourns the loss of her two daughters. Their step-father is behind bars tonight accused of their murder.

The sisters were found dead in a second floor room of their Nebraska Street home. Fire crews discovered the bodies while responding to a fire call at the home Sunday afternoon. It was initially ruled suspicious.

But police are now telling KMEG 14 that they believe the girls died before the fire. Their stepfather, Larry Harris, is now charged with two counts of first degree murder.

KMEG 14's Denise Hnytka reports.

Police say the girls were found strangled and stabbed in their home. Larry Harris told investigators at the scene that the girls were dead in their room, the victims of witchcraft gone badly.

Eight year old Alysha Suing is the golden haired beauty. Her ten year old sister, Kendra is the spunky brunette. Together they smile for a family photo taken this Christmas.

We've blurred the face of their step-father, Larry Harris. He's the man in the top left-hand corner by police request. The 24 year old Wal-Mart employee is the man police believe killed Alysha and Kendra in their room before setting the home on fire.

Police Chief Joe Frisbee said, "The defendant said he was casting a spell that had gone bad and it could have had severe consequences."

Harris was at home with the girls and his three year old son on Sunday afternoon. Their mother Marla was at work.

"He was the only adult present at the scene," said Frisbee. "His statements indicated that no other person was present who could have committed the murders."

Detectives work into the early morning hours removing several bags of evidence, including items like a sketch pad, shovels and a purse.

Police still want to know the cause of the fire and determine if it was set to cover up the crime. They're also investigating how Harris' religious beliefs contributed to this tragedy.

Larry Harris' photo is being used in a line-up to help the police investigation. They say they're still interviewing neighbors and other potential witnesses.

The woman who lives in the home next door says her children often played with the girls. She called them a quiet family that mostly kept to themselves.

She made some interesting observations when firefighters pulled the girls from that second floor window.

"My daughter said the little one had a cut on her mouth," said the neighbor. "They came outside with no clothes on. The second, the oldest, came out with only half clothes on. What were they in the bathtub or something? The main question is why were they like that in the middle of the day?"

The girls' mother Marla tells KMEG 14 that her husband told her he was doing a spell for death and destruction to help Marla's third child stay out of trouble. She says she respected her husband's beliefs, but just asked that he not practice them in the house.