'Violent' Dad Killed Bucks Co. Girl Amid Custody Battle: Family

The mother of a 7-year-old Bucks County girl who police said was killed by her father in a murder-suicide in Philadelphia had been fighting for sole custody of her daughter, and had a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend because of his violent past, according to information shared by the family in an online fundraiser and in media reports.

Kayden Mancuso and her father, Jeff Mancuso, were found dead Monday in his home in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia. Kayden was enrolled at Edgewood Elementary School in Lower Makefield, officials at the Pennsbury School District confirmed.

According to an online fundraiser created by the family to collect money for funeral expenses, there were many warning signs along the way that should have prevented the girl from being in her father's care. Her mother had fought "for years" to get sole custody of the girl, and was involved in a prolonged custody battle with Kayden's father, her aunt, Heather Giglio, told Action News.

According to her family, the girl was dropped off at her father's house along the 4500 block of Wilde Street on Saturday for a visit. She was supposed to return home the next day.

When she didn't arrive home in time, her mother became concerned and shared a photo of her daughter on social media in an attempt to locate her.

Her family said they sought help from the Philadelphia Police Department but they were told that "she was probably just out with her father," and that police were unable to do anything without a warrant, the family explained on the GoFundMe page. The page, which had a goal of $25,000, had raised more than $36,000 by Tuesday morning.

The girl's stepfather and grandfather followed their instincts, though, and went to Mancuso's home, where their worst nightmare became a reality.

"We knew this was gonna happen one day, we just prayed it wouldn't," Giglio told Action News.

Relatives say Kayden's biological father had a violent and storied history yet the court system still allowed for modified visitation, according to the GoFundMe page.

Nonetheless, "Kayden's mother trusted that the law and the court system would work for her daughter's best interests. However, the system failed and she was taken too soon. Kayden's mother was told to trust the process, but the door was slammed in her face time after time."

"They let him take her and now she's gone," Giglio said in the Action News interview.

Little detail is available on Mancuso and the life he led. His Facebook profile shows just a few photos publicly, including a December 2017 photo of him in Disney World with the young girl, who is wearing a princess dress.

But the girl's family said Mancuso had obvious violent tendencies, dating back several years. "He threatened to kill all of us," Giglio told CBS Philly.

“As far as red flags go, you wouldn’t find a guy with more red flags,” another family member told that network.

Now loved ones are mourning the young girl described as a "vibrant, outgoing, loving child" who played sports and excelled in various activities, including softball, soccer, and gymnastics.

The family is hoping to raise awareness about the situation, saying "no child should be left with a parent who has such a storied and violent history. We need to keep Kayden in our memories and keep her spirit alive."

Photo of Kayden and her family, including her mother and stepfather, via GoFundMe, a Patch promotional partner.