Montco mother, daughter dead in murder-suicide

In what authorities described as a tragic act of desperation, a Norristown woman, a victim of domestic violence, intentionally overdosed her child with a prescription drug and then took her own life.

Donna Smith, 40, and her 4-year-old daughter, Samantha Casino, were found by police Thursday afternoon lying together on their living-room sofa bed and holding hands.

The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said the deaths were murder-suicide. Smith's family told police that she had a long history of personal problems and was a recent victim of domestic abuse, according to the District Attorney's Office.

On April 9, Smith applied for a protection-from-abuse order against her daughter's father, Michael John Casino, 29, of Philadelphia, and a petition for emergency relief from abuse against his parents, Joseph and Marie Casino, also of Philadelphia. The court hearing was scheduled for Thursday morning.

Smith had a previous protection-from-abuse order filed against Michael Casino in Philadelphia, court records show. Casino is in jail on a parole and probation violation in Philadelphia from 2007, the District Attorney's Office said. Casino's parents have an unlisted phone number and could not be reached.

"This woman lived in fear of the father of her child, and lived in fear of his family," said Risa Vetri Ferman, Montgomery County district attorney. "She truly believed in her heart they were going to take her away and harm her."

In the application for the protection order, Smith said Michael Casino had written her a letter threatening physical violence.

"Michael also wrote in letter that we were going to die together and we would go to morgue together," Smith said in the application. "Michael has abused me in front of our daughter, has pushed me while Samantha has been in my arms, has pulled me to the ground by my hair and would kick me."

On April 8, Smith wrote, she received a call from Joseph Casino threatening to "turn the tables" on her and put Samantha in foster care.

On Thursday, a relative who went to check on the mother and daughter saw the bodies though a first-floor window of the house in the 500 block of High Street, and called police, said Russell Bono, Norristown police chief.

"It appeared they had been there a couple of days," Bono said. A suicide note and an empty bottle of Xanax, which is used to treat anxiety, were found near the bodies, authorities said. The note contained personal information for the family, Bono said.

Smith's gray Volvo station wagon was parked in front of her home. A child's pink jacket and backpack were in the car, along with a Chris Daughtry CD. A parking ticket was tucked under the front wiper.

Smith moved to Norristown from Philadelphia about a year ago, said Christine Kronmiller. The two single mothers were best friends, she said. They had begun making plans to visit the Shore and attend concerts and an amusement park with their children.

"We were supposed to go to Pittsburgh this weekend to visit friends," Kronmiller said.

Smith loved her daughter and was a "wonderful" friend, Kronmiller added. "We supported each other," she said.

She said she last saw Smith on Tuesday and said in hindsight that Smith seemed sad. Smith had told her of the harassing calls and the fear that her daughter would be taken from her.

Kronmiller tearfully placed three bouquets of flowers at the door of Smith's apartment. She picked up cards that had been left with a white stuffed monkey and a bear, read the notes, and sobbed.

"There are just really no answers to something like this," Bono said. "It is a horrible sight and a sad situation."