Father Came Home to Find Daughter Dead, Wife Holding Knife

After a Pennsylvania dad came home to a grisly sight, his wife allegedly uttered a haunting confession.

In the early hours of Tuesday, Dec. 23, 23-year-old Daniele Grovola was stabbed to death in Upper Darby Township, Pa., police announced on social media the same day. The following day, a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE revealed that there is far more to the story — including an injured pet, an apparent suicide attempt and, allegedly, a shocking confession from the victim’s mother.

Daniele’s father, John, was the one who called 911 to report the early morning stabbing. According to the criminal complaint, he told officers with the Upper Darby Police Department that he had left his job sometime around or before 5:30 a.m. local time, and stopped at a McDonald’s to pick up breakfast for his wife and daughter before arriving home to the gruesome scene.

After arriving home, the family’s dog got blood on his clothes, while his wife, 57-year-old Diane Grovola, was sitting on the sofa in their living room, per the outlet. She was holding a knife, he told investigators.

Then, John claimed his wife mentioned harming the pet, which was visibly injured, and confessed to hurting Daniele, telling him: “I stabbed our daughter.”

The dad then entered his 23-year-old daughter’s bedroom, where he found her lying on her back, eyes open and unresponsive, per the complaint.

As he contacted police at 6:38 a.m., John said that Diane had attempted suicide, stating that she no longer wanted to live and stabbing herself in the chest, according to the complaint. He also said that she stripped naked, threw the knife she was holding onto the floor and proceeded to break things in the family’s kitchen until officers arrived on the scene.

Meanwhile, John fled the scene, which the 911 operator had instructed him to do.

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Police arrived at the Upper Darby Township residence to find Diane naked, covered in blood and resisting officers’ commands, per the complaint. She was also found with lacerations on her body, which police later determined to be self-inflicted.

Diane was ultimately secured by officers, and allegedly made another shocking statement to police.

“Sorry, I should have stabbed myself first,” she said, according to the complaint.

Daniele — who was discovered with lacerations to her face, chest, legs and back — was pronounced dead at 7:07 a.m., according to the complaint. She had been dead by the time her father arrived home from work, ABC 6 Action News reported, citing police.

Her mother, Diane, was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, criminal homicide and possession of an instrument of crime, according to the Delaware County Daily Times and ABC 6.

Diane was also charged with aggravated cruelty to animals for allegedly stabbing the family dog, which received veterinary treatment following the incident, according to the outlets. She is being held without bail.