Roselle axe murder victims were mother and her 9-year-old daughter

The Roselle community is reeling from a tragedy that struck on Wednesday, when a mother and her 9-year-old daughter were found dead inside their home on West 7th Avenue, but Mayor Donald Shaw and other officials are not releasing details about the horrific crime.

On April 19, 2023, a double homicide occurred in a home located at the corner of West 7th Avenue and Pine Street in Roselle. Keisha Morrison, a 32-year-old mother, and her 9-year-old daughter, Kelsey Morrison, were found dead in their home.

The gruesome discovery is believed to be the result of a domestic dispute, said authorities, who also claim a suspect was arrested in connection with the double homicide.

Details are scarce at this time, but a source close to the investigation has reported that the two victims were bludgeoned with an axe.

The identity of the victims and the age of the child were not disclosed by prosecutors. It is also unclear how long the victims had been deceased before they were discovered.

Prosecutors declined to provide additional details on the two people discovered dead in the Roselle home a day ago. Shaw is campaigning for re-election and he refused to discuss the macabre incident.

Atasha Scott, sister of the homeowner, identified them as his wife and daughter. She claims the girl’s uncle, the homeowner’s brother, who had been ordered to leave the home, killed his niece and sister-in-law with an ax from the garage — and that the homeowner found both dead when he got back from work on Wednesday.

Scott disclosed that her sister-in-law, Keisha Morrison, and her 9-year-old daughter were killed with an axe.

Scott disclosed that the homeowner, Gary Morrison, Keisha’s husband and Everoy’s half-brother, found the ax used in the murder hidden between mattresses, saw bloody sheets, and called the police.

Everoy allegedly took Keisha’s BMW, which she had purchased a week before the murder, and fled the scene. The BMW was tracked to Maryland, where the suspected killer was arrested on a vehicle theft-related charge.

Scott said that her brother, Gary Morrison is loving father who adored his wife Keisha, their daughter Kelsey and the rest of the children in the blended family.

She said Gary did not hesitate to let his half-brother Everoy Morrison live in his basement for two years, because he was down on his luck.

Scott says she’s being told her stepbrother, Everoy Morrison Jr., murdered her 9-year-old niece and her sister-in-law, then walked away out of the house and stole the victim’s car.

“He [Everoy Morrison] walked right out the house. My brother was telling them [police] to get him while he was here. But for some reason, he was let go and they just let him walk away and they found him in Maryland,” she said. “He’s still in her car, he drove it to Maryland.”

Scott says her other nieces were home, went downstairs, and they went in Kelsey’s room and saw “stuff in the room.”

Scott said her other nieces then called her brother and said they weren’t able to open their mother’s door. The door was locked, Scott says, and there was a comforter at the bottom of the door.

Scott said Everoy Morrison came up the stairs and he’s not allowed to come up the stairs. He was looking for her brother who wasn’t in the house at the time, according to Scott. Morrison then proceeded to go back downstairs to wait. Scott says when her brother arrived at the house, Morrison tried to lure him downstairs.

Scott said her brother went upstairs, broke the door open and “found a crime scene,” but the two bodies were not there.

“They did not deserve what happened to them. This guy needs to be in jail for the rest of his life,” Scott said.

The investigation is ongoing, and the scene of the crime, at the corner of West 7th Avenue and Pine Street, has been cordoned off. Officials have stated that there is no threat to the neighborhood or the public.

As a precautionary measure, districtwide lockdowns were implemented with students sheltering in place at all Roselle Public Schools. which have since been lifted.

According to officials, the bodies were discovered after the young girl failed to show up for school. The tragic events have left the community shaken, and officials are urging anyone with information about the case to come forward.

A neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, told reporters that two stretchers with tarps on top of them were taken out of the home. “It’s just so sad,” the neighbor said. “I can’t imagine what the family is going through right now. It’s just heartbreaking.”

Officials have not released any information about the suspect, but they have confirmed that the person is in police custody. The suspect was taken into custody out of state in connection with the deaths.

The Roselle Police Department is being assisted in the investigation by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force and the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit.

Residents of Roselle are shocked and saddened by the tragedy. “It’s just so terrible,” said one resident who did not wish to be named. “It’s a quiet neighborhood, and nothing like this ever happens here. It’s just heartbreaking to see something like this happen.”

Another resident expressed concern about the impact of the tragedy on the community. “It’s going to take some time for the community to heal,” the resident said. “But I know that we’ll come together to support each other during this difficult time.”

The double homicide in Roselle is a tragic reminder of the importance of vigilance and community support. Officials are urging anyone with information about the case to come forward and assist in the investigation. The identity of the victims and the suspect have not been released at this time, but officials have assured the public that there is no ongoing threat to the community.

Our entire Roselle community is crushed into pieces over the recent tragedy that occurred yesterday,” said Jamel C. Holley, a former Democratic assemblyman who is seeking a return to the mayor’s office. “The family was a traditional hard working middle-class family that always valued the beauty of our community. We are devastated and will continue to lift them up in prayer as we all grasp this tremendous loss.”