Cops make horrific discovery at home of mother and two young daughters who hadn't been seen playing in garden for weeks

Cops found a mother and two young girls dead of a suspected murder suicide - with heartbroken neighbors saying they hadn't seen the victims play outside in weeks.  

Jennifer Barney, 37, was found dead alongside daughters Harmony May West, 11, and Hope Marie West at their apartment in Mechanic Falls, Maine, last Saturday.

The bodies were discovered on Hope's seventh birthday, although it is unclear when she was killed.   

The mother's death was ruled as a suicide, while the girls' cause of death was determined to be homicide.

Police conducted a welfare check at 3:30 pm on July 27, after a U-Haul truck rented under the mother's name had not been returned. Neighbors told the Sun Journal that they hadn't seen the girls play in their yard or on their trampoline in weeks.

Law enforcement found the U-Haul outside of their home. Upon entering their second floor apartment, they discovered the bodies of all three family members, who had been dead for several days. 

Autopsies of the two girls revealed one died of multiple stab wounds while the other of multiple injuries, Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said Friday.

The DPS did not specify which girl died from stab wounds. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is still working to positively identify all three victims.

The family's dogs, a Doberman pinscher and another small dog, were taken by the Animal Control officer until the next of kin could be reached to determine the pet's placement.

A reporter from The Sun Journal who visited the residence noticed an overdue rent notice pasted on their front door, dated July 17.

'We're all in shock. Distraught. Devastated,' grandmother Davina Wilcox told local CBS affiliate WGME. 'Never expected in a million years I'd be burying my grandchildren.' 

'They were loved by everybody that knew them.  Harmony loved unicorns. Her favorite color was pink. She loved to wear makeup and dress up. Had lots of friends at school.' 

Hope would have turned seven on the day her body was discovered.

'Hope. She was just precious. She loved cats. Anything to do with kitties and cats. Her favorite color was purple. And she adored her sister,' Wilcox said.

Neighbors said they knew something was amiss when they didn't see the two girls playing on their beloved trampoline for about two weeks. They also hadn't been attending their summer school.

'It was always so nice to see those little blonde heads jumping up and down on that trampoline, and I'll definitely miss that,' neighbor Devon said. 'They were very sweet, kind little girls.

Wilcox said the mother and the two girls had lived happily with her for a brief period of time until they moved into their own space a few years ago. 

'Had she said anything, we would have helped,' Wilcox said. 'Everyone would have helped.' 

Neighbors also said they did not know the family well as the mother kept to herself. 

A memorial has been placed outside of the multiunit apartment, with flowers and stuffed animals lining the steps of the home. 

A neighbor told the Sun Journal the mother has been delivering for DoorDash to keep the family afloat as she could take her children in the car with her.

The girls' father, 31-year-old James Lee West, died unexpectedly in 2019.

Originally from Nevada, he relocated to Maine in 2012 and was residing in Casco at the time of his passing.

His obituary described his two daughters, Hope and Harmony, as the center of his world.

A GoFundMe has been created by the girl's great uncle, Dan Parrot, to help with funeral expenses.