Jeff Mancuso [left], reportedly suffocated his seven-year-old daughter Kayden [right], with a plastic bag then killed himself over the weekend, at his home in Philadelphia, PA

A seven-year-old girl who was killed by her violent father in a murder-suicide was struck in the head with a weight and had a note left on her body that said her family got what they deserved.
Kayden Mancuso was found dead by her stepfather in the living room of her father Jeffrey Mancuso’s home in Philadelphia on Monday.
She had a plastic bag tied around her neck after being suffocated.
Her father was found dead in an upstairs bedroom but his cause of death has not been released.
It is believed that 41-year-old Jeff Mancuso suffocated his seven-year-old daughter Kayden with a plastic bag then killed himself at his home in Philadelphia over the weekend while she visited him.
Jeffrey Mancuso and the girl’s mother Kathryn had been embroiled in a years-long custody battle. Her mother said Kayden told family members she ‘didn’t feel safe with her dad’, court records show.

Stable, happy family: Kayden Mancuso [second right], lived with  her stepfather Brian Sherlock and mom Kathryn [left] and her half-brothers. Her mother had been trying to get full custody for years but was told by a judge that because Kayden was a happy child, she must agree to visitation

 Family told The Philadelphia Inquirer that a medical examiner said Kayden died after being hit in the head with a weight.
Heather Giglio, the girl’s aunt, said Jeffrey Mancuso left a note on Kayden’s body saying the family ‘got what we deserved’.
Heather Giglio, the Kayden’s aunt, said Jeffrey Mancuso left a note on Kayden’s body saying the family ‘got what we deserved’.
Kayden [photo left], lived with her mother and her stepfather Brian Sherlock, who have been together since 2014, along with her two half-brothers. Her mother was never married to Mancuso and they separated when Kayden was one.
Despite her mother’s repeated attempts to stop him from seeing her and his history of extreme violence, a judge granted him visitation rights in May this year after a lengthy court battle where his history for violence was laid bare.
Jeffrey had a lengthy rap sheet including multiple assault charges and had been diagnosed with a ‘major depressive’ disorder.
Kayden Mancuso had witnessed her father punch himself in the face while angry and attack the family dog, according to family court documents. She told family members she was scared of her dad.
However, as per the court ruling Kayden was allowed to visit her father from Saturdays at 10am until Sunday at 6pm as part of the agreement.
On Sunday night, her stepfather became worried when she was not brought home as had been agreed.
The family called police but say they were told there was nothing that could be done because she was with her biological father.
Kayden lived with her mother Kathryn, her stepfather Brian  and her two younger half-brothers. Kathryn had been trying to get full custody of her daughter for years but was told by a judge that because Kayden was a happy child, she must agree to visitation.

Mancuso, who ran a construction recruitment business out of New Jersey, once told a court psychologist when describing one of his fights: ‘I beat him up, he put me in a headlock, and I bit down on his ear and took off the top part of his ear,’ according to the court documents. On other occasions, he was seen by Kayden punching his dog and then himself in the face.

The psychologist diagnosed him with major depressive disorder, moderate with anxious disorder and identified narcissistic and antisocial personality traits.
They said was suicidal and experienced feelings of ‘hopelessness’.
Kayden’s mother, who also underwent a psychiatric evaluation as part of the custody proceedings, was found not to have any ailments.
During the custody proceedings, the court was also told how he had been banned from his daughter’s school because he had been so aggressive in his correspondence with teachers. – Other parents had remarked on how he belittled the teachers and left threatening comments on an online forum.
In his decision, Judge Trauger said he had ‘serious concerns’ about Mancuso’s ability to control his behavior but he allowed him visitation rights anyway.
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Kayden’s family now says they always feared he would harm her but prayed it would never be so extreme.
‘We knew this was gonna happen one day, we just prayed it wouldn’t.’
‘The system failed us. My sister fought for her custody for years and they didn’t listen to us. They let him take her and now she’s gone,’ her aunt Heather Giglio said.