A Pennsylvania woman has been charged with shooting her parents in the head and dismembering their bodies with a chainsaw, authorities said Wednesday.

Verity Beck, 49, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of third-degree murder and other crimes in the slayings of Reid Beck, 73, and Miriam Beck, 72, told reporters Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele.

Beck appeared in court Wednesday for a preliminary arraignment and was ordered held without bail, criminal court records show.

Police investigate the scene of a double homicide in Abington Township, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday.NBC Philadelphia

Authorities have not identified a possible motive, although investigators did find a safe that someone appeared to have tried to break into, Steele said.

Police officers were dispatched to the home in Abington, 12 miles north of Philadelphia, Tuesday for a wellness check after another family member said the couple hadn’t been heard from in more than a week. said Steele and Abington Township Police Chief Patrick Molloy. a joint statement.

Inside, officers found Verity Beck, who also lived there, and the bodies of the victims, according to the statement.

They found body parts in trash bags that had been placed in two trash cans, Steele said. One of the victims was tightly wrapped in a white sheet and blanket, she said.

«There were signs of extreme trauma present,» he said.

An autopsy found that each of the Becks was shot in the head, Steele said, adding that a pillow may have been used during the shooting. She said the shots appeared to have been fired before the couple was dismembered.

«We hope and pray that that happens first,» he said.

Authorities found at least three weapons inside the home that belonged to Verity Beck, NBC Philadelphia reportedciting a criminal complaint.

It was not clear when the Becks were killed. Steele said a family member last spoke to them on Jan. 7.

It was not clear if Beck has an attorney speaking on his behalf. Court records did not mention one.