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Grace Packer Murder: Victim’s Mother Helped Rapist Murderer Dismember Body, Police Say

By Rahul Srinivas
Published on: 05:05 PST, Jan 8, 2017

Six months after the mysterious disappearance and subsequent death of 14-year-old Grace Packer, Police officials investigating the case have managed to solve the murder mystery.

According to an NBC 10 Philadelphia report, police have accused 44-year-old Jacob Sullivan of Horsham, Pennsylvania, of raping and murdering Packer. He was arrested on Saturday and was charged with the murder, rape, and dismemberment of Grace’s body. Even more shocking was the role of Grace’s adoptive mother 41-year-old Sara Packer, who is accused of aiding Sullivan in the murder.

Sara allegedly helped Sullivan dismember and dispose of Grace’s body. Clear evidence of the duo’s involvement in the murder came to light after both of them attempted to kill themselves in what is now thought to be a failed suicide pact.

The role of both Jacob and Sara was established after both of them were found nearly unconscious on the same day by Sullivan’s girlfriend. According to the NBC report, on the night of December 30, 2016, Sullivan’s girlfriend found him lying unconscious and unresponsive inside his room. She called 911 and told them that she suspected that he had overdosed on pills. The dispatcher also asked if she knew of any reasons that would have led to Sullivan attempting suicide – to which she reportedly responded with the following.

“I don’t know if you have watched the news lately. Someone we were involved with was recently…It’s a big mess. It’s a big mess, and I don’t really know how to explain it. But oh my God.”

Shortly after the call, emergency personnel arrived on the scene and took Sullivan to a nearby hospital where he was treated for drug overdose. After questioning his girlfriend, officials also found a handwritten suicide note from him which we have reproduced in its entirety below.

The letter read;

“Dear babies,
I love you all so much. You are the only people that I have always been able to count on. I’m sorry that I am taking the coward’s way out, but I don’t have any strength left in me. People want to judge and lie and break me down. They have.

I can’t exist with Sara in jail and those f—— lying pigs and the whore media have made it impossible for us to live.

They don’t care how many lives or laws they break. I know you will always know that we had nothing to do with this no matter what lies they tell. I’m sorry to leave you. Remember all I’ve taught you. Be brave, stand tall and do your best to be stronger than I was.
I love you.
Daddy”

A few hours after the incident, another emergency call was made to – again by Sullivan’s girlfriend. She told them that after they had left, she found Sara Packer unconscious and unresponsive in her room. However, before emergency workers reached there, she drove Sara to the nearby Abington Hospital.

Later, police officials came to the conclusion that both of them had entered into a suicide pact and attempted to kill themselves by drug overdose. The breakthrough in the case came on early Saturday morning after Abington Hospital authorities contacted the investigators and told them that Sullivan had admitted that he was responsible for the murder of Grace Packer. Investigators soon reached the hospital where they questioned Jacob following which he also admitted that Sara Packer was his accomplice. Before the investigators came, Sullivan also reportedly told his family members about the murder.

According to investigators, Sullivan and Sara had planned to kill Grace since the fall of 2015, soon after Grace returned to them after spending time with another family member living in North Carolina. Sullivan revealed chilling details of Grace’s kidnapping, torture, rape and murder in detail to investigators.

According to Jacob, the incident dates back to July 8, 2016. On this day, Sara Packer drove Grace to their new home in Quakertown, Bucks County. After the duo had reached the place, Sullivan was waiting for them and led Grace into the home where she was struck several times on her face. She was then taken to the attic of the home where Grace was raped by Sullivan as Sara watched on. After this, Sara gave some pills to Grace telling her that they would ease her pain. After Grace fell unconscious, both of them gagged her and left her in the hot attic expecting her to die. The duo locked the home and returned the next day at 3 a.m. expecting Grace to be dead. However, she was still alive. Enraged, Sullivan then strangled Grace to death and packed her body in kitty litter. The body remained there for more than three months. Three days later, on July 11, Sara contacted the local police department to file a missing report for Grace. She had allegedly told police that Grace went missing after both of them had an argument over Grace visiting one of her friends. The police, however, noted that Sara was not able to verify the details of this friend. Sara also told them that Grace had left home with $300 in cash.

Following the missing persons report, police launched an investigation into the incident that lasted for over two months. In the meantime, they also noted that Sara had moved to a new home without notifying them. Later, it also became clear that she had moved into the new home without notifying her relatives.

After it had become clear that police officials may arrive at her new home where Grace’s body was still lying in the attic, Sullivan and Grace moved the body to a bathroom where they dismembered the remains using a saw. The remains were then transferred to plastic totes. These were then disposed of in a wooded area in Bear Creek Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. These remains were eventually discovered by a group of hunters on October 31, following which they notified the police. After the remains had been discovered, further investigation revealed that the saw used to dismember grace’s body was purchased from the Bucks County tractor supply store. The receipt for the purchase made was also recovered.

After police had made the arrests, Jacob Sullivan was formally charged with murder, rape, kidnapping, abuse of a corpse, simple assault, and other related offenses. His request for bail was denied and was sent to the Bucks County Correctional Facility. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on January 20. As for Sara Packer, she was already out on bail after being arrested earlier for child endangerment and obstruction of justice. She is also expected to face more charges after Jacob’s shocking revelation.

[Featured image by Shutterstock]

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