A Father Came Home to His Child, 23, Unresponsive and His Wife Wielding a Knife. Then, She Said These Chilling Words

A Pennsylvania father came home to a horrifying scene, and investigators say his wife made an immediate and chilling admission.

In the early hours of Tuesday, Dec. 23, 23-year-old Daniele Grovola was stabbed to death in Upper Darby Township, Pa., according to police. A criminal complaint later detailed what officers say unfolded inside the home, including an injured family dog, an alleged suicide attempt and statements investigators attribute to Daniele’s mother.

Daniele’s father, John, called 911 after returning from work that morning. According to the complaint, he told officers with the Upper Darby Police Department that he left his job sometime around or before 5:30 a.m. and stopped at McDonald’s to bring breakfast home for his wife and daughter.

When he arrived, he said the family dog got blood on his clothing. His wife, 57-year-old Diane Grovola, was seated on the living-room sofa holding a knife, according to the complaint.

John told investigators his wife referenced harming the dog — which he said was visibly injured — and then admitted she had hurt their daughter, telling him: “I stabbed our daughter.”

He then went to Daniele’s bedroom and found her lying on her back with her eyes open and unresponsive, the complaint states.

As John contacted police at 6:38 a.m., he reported that Diane attempted to take her own life, saying she no longer wanted to live and stabbing herself in the chest, according to the complaint. He also said she stripped naked, threw the knife on the floor and began breaking items in the kitchen while they waited for officers to arrive. The 911 operator instructed John to leave the home, and he fled.

Police arrived to find Diane naked, covered in blood and refusing commands, according to the complaint. Officers also observed lacerations that were later determined to be self-inflicted.

After she was taken into custody, investigators say Diane made another statement.

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

Daniele — who was found with lacerations to her face, chest, legs and back — was pronounced dead at 7:07 a.m., the complaint states. She had already died by the time her father got home, ABC 6 Action News reported, citing police.

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.

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