Dad accused in murder of mom, 13-week-old daughter caught in California (Seattle, Washington)

Dad DANIEL HICKS has finally been caught and arrested for the murders of his 13-week-old daughter and her mother, his girfriend.

http://www.ksbw.com/news/22094454/detail.html

Man Accused In Seattle Deaths Arrested In SC
Man's Girlfriend, 13-Week-Old Infant Killed
POSTED: 6:05 pm PST December 30, 2009
UPDATED: 9:41 pm PST December 30, 2009

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- A man accused of killing his girlfriend and their 13-week-old daughter was arrested in Santa Cruz.

Daniel Hicks, 30, made his first court appearance Wednesday in a Santa Cruz County courtroom.
While he's accused of carrying out the murders in his hometown of Seattle, he was picked up in Santa Cruz after police tracked him through phone calls.

His attorney said Wednesday Hicks is depressed and on suicide watch.

It was a crime veteran officers in the Seattle police force said they never before seen, 28-year-old mother Jennifer Morgan and her 13-week-old daughter Emma, shot to death.

"I don't think our department has seen such a brutal act of violence perpetrated against so young a victim," police said.

In court documents obtained by Action News 8, gruesome details of the murder are laid out. The mother was shot 12 times and the daughter was shot seven times. Both victims were airlifted to a hospital but declared dead on arrival. The mother and child murdered just four days before Christmas and their bodies discovered by the child's grandmother who went downstairs to ask about a Christmas gift.

"I'm really super numb inside, my mind's racing, can't hold still. I need to keep in constant motion. I grieve for my daughter and granddaughter," said Renee Morgan, the victim's mother.

Court documents also revealed that the accused killer, 30-year-old Daniel Hicks, was suicidal and depressed. It got worse when he learned his girlfriend was pregnant and he became outraged to learn his first child was a girl, not a boy. He even questioned whether he was the biological father. Relatives said Hicks was verbally abusive to his girlfriend and baby. He was asked to move out of the house just prior to their deaths.

On Monday, Santa Cruz police arrested hicks at a pay phone after Seattle detectives traced his phone calls.

"Pretty horrific murder, we're thankful the suspect now in custody," said police.

Prosecutors in Seattle said they charged Hicks with two counts of murder.

He was in a Santa Cruz courtroom on Wednesday to see if he plans to waive extradition back to Seattle. The hearing was continued to Thursday.

Prosecutors in Seattle told Action News 8 they haven't decided whether or not they plan to pursue the death penalty.

A Seattle judge has ordered Hicks held without bail.