The Polk County woman accused of killing her father and daughter appeared in court for the first time Monday.

Cheyanne Jessie, 25, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of evidence tampering. She was denied bond.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office said Jessie killed 50-year-old Mark Weekly and 6-year-old Meredith Jessie on July 18 inside Weekly's home on Drane Field Road in Lakeland.

Investigators said Jessie returned a few days later and put the remains inside two plastic tote bags, dumping them inside a neighbor's shed. Jessie then reported the pair missing.

According to an arrest report, Jessie told detectives she got into a physical altercation with Weekly and he pulled out a knife. She said Meredith ran to help when Weekly stabbed her in the throat. Jessie then said she shot Weekly in self defense.

Weekly's family said they aren't surprised Jessie was arrested for the killings.

"When they said they found Mark and Meredith, that they were murdered, I said Cheyanne did it," Gaye Weekly, Mark Weekly's sister-in-law, said.

Gaye Weekly said she believes Jessie planned the murders. She said she thinks Jessie cut and dyed Meredith's hair a few months ago so it would be harder for police to identify her body.

"She said she got the idea from Criminal Minds, off the TV," Gaye Weekly said. "Well, she didn't watch until the end of the script, because if she had, she would have known they got caught."

Deputies said they are still working to figure out if anyone else as involved, but at this time it appears Jessie acted alone.