'Sweet' daughter emerged bloodied from woodland cabin where her father lay dead. Now sickening new details are revealed as she tells her side of the story from jail

By DANA KENNEDY IN LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA Published: 23:58, 30 July 2026 | Updated: 23:58, 30 July 2026 For years, unimaginable and sickening things were happening inside the walls of an isolated rundown house set back in the rural North Carolina woods. Because of that, 20-year-old Maleigha Allen might be forgiven for stabbing her father to death inside that home in Lexington where the two lived alone, at least according to some of her loved ones. But instead, Maleigha has spent the past few weeks locked up in a jail cell awaiting trial after being charged with first-degree murder over 44-year-old Michael Allen's grim slaying in the early morning hours of April 17. Maleigha's attorney has not yet entered a plea. Now, in the latest twist, the young woman has insisted she carried out the stabbing frenzy in self-defense, telling the Daily Mail in an exclusive jail interview that her dad had 'been molesting me again.' Those disturbing allegations first surfaced back in 2019 when Michael Allen was indicted on incest and child rape charges involving his daughter. The charges were later dropped when Maleigha, then 13, recanted. Despite the claims, Michael wound up with legal custody of his daughter just a year later. The two then lived together in what multiple sources told the Daily Mail was a toxic and sometimes violent relationship fueled by their mutual addictions to drugs and alcohol, as well as a backdrop of generational trauma involving abuse and incarceration. Maleigha had also been acting so erratically in recent months that her mother had her committed to several psychiatric facilities amid fears she might be schizophrenic. Maleigha Allen, 20, is in custody after being charged with first-degree murder in the stabing death of her 44-year-old father Michael Allen in their Lexington, North Carolina home in April Davidson County sheriff's deputies were alerted to the ordeal after Maleigha showed up seriously injured with stab wounds outside a family friend's nearby home in the early hours of April 17. She is pictured in a mugshot with a bruised face and bandages on her neck The young woman has insisted she carried out the stabbing frenzy in self-defense, telling the Daily Mail in an exclusive jail interview that her dad had 'been molesting me again' And there was a warning that presaged the killing. Twenty four hours before Michael was killed, Maleigha posted a photo on her Facebook page with the words: 'THIS WILL BE A MURDER SCENE STOP MY DADDY'S VOIECES (sic).' Maleigha's half-sister, Sierra Williams, 25, and their mother, Amy Simerson, 39, have thrown their support to the alleged killer. 'I have no sympathy for Michael Allen,' Sierra, who has a different father, told the Daily Mail. 'I have sympathy for Maleigha, what she had to go through for years because of him. I know how bad she had it. Even though she still loves him. He's her dad.' Maleigha's mom, who said she herself had a long history of addiction and has been in and out of jail and unable to care for her four children, told the Daily Mail that her ex-husband was a violent drunk - and that she always worried about Maleigha being in his care. In an exclusive sit-down, she also alleged Maleigha was persuaded to say she lied about her father's sexual abuse by his brother and sister-in-law so that the 2019 charges against Michael would be dismissed. Her brother and sister-in-law denied her claim to the Daily Mail. Simerson, however, insisted Maleigha's initial claims were true. Michael Allen and his daughter Maleigha lived together in what multiple sources told the Daily Mail was a toxic and sometimes violent relationship fueled by their mutual addictions to drugs and alcohol Michael Allen was found stabbed to death in the isolated rundown house (above) where he lived with his daughter in Lexington, North Carolina The 20-year-old is currently being held without bond in the Davidson County jail on a first degree murder charge  Simerson also alleged that Michael had stabbed her during one assault during their brief marriage and once attempted to attack her with a chainsaw. 'The story is so complicated and I feel so bad for Maleigha but I also blame myself,' Simerson, who told us she's been clean for three years, said. 'Maleigha never had a chance living with her dad. He just messed with her and messed with her mind too.' Nobody, however, thought Maleigha would get violent with her father, which is what happened sometime in the early morning hours of April 17 at their remote home in Lexington. Davidson County sheriff's deputies were alerted to the ordeal after Maleigha showed up seriously injured with stab wounds outside the nearby home of a family friend, Jennifer Lanning, who called 911 at about 7.20 am.  It's not clear whether Maleigha stabbed herself, or if her father attacked her. Maleigha and her father had been at the home with Lanning and others the night before. Lanning, 49, told the Daily Mail that she and others long been suspicious of Michael Allen's relationship with Maleigha. 'I always thought he'd been messing with her because of the way they acted,' she said. 'Other people who didn't know them thought they were, like, dating. That night before they left, Maleigha whispered to me that she didn't want sexy time with her dad.' Lanning also said that when the father and daughter were at the house that night with her and her partner, Jason Stone, Michael Allen had showed off three new knives, including a switchblade. Despite the ordeal, Maleigha told the Daily Mail from her jail cell: 'I still miss him' Four days after her father was found stabbed to death on April 17, Maleigha was arrested and charged by warrant with first-degree murder. The charge was later thrown out but she was re-arrested in early July Maleigha's mom Amy Simerson, 39, has thrown her support behind the alleged killer. Simerson, who had a long history of addiction and has been in and out of jail, said her ex-husband was a violent drunk - and that she always worried about Maleigha being in his care 'He wanted me to touch them, I didn't wanna, one of them popped right out automatic-like,' she said. The pair left sometime around 2am and Michael was very drunk, Lanning said. To make things worse, Maleigha had been using meth for months and seemed mentally unwell, she added. Lanning was then woken up the following morning to find Maleigha outside on the porch bleeding from multiple stab wounds. 'She showed up at the house literally at 7.15am,' Lanning said. 'She was like the walking dead out there, I was like what the f*** happened? She said, "dad stabbed me." She failed to tell me he was dead. 'She was literally covered with blood. She had stab wounds across her stomach, on her neck, by her heart, on her legs.' Lanning said she immediately called 911 and when police showed up, they asked Maleigha who stabbed her. 'She says, "My dad, and I'm sorry, I had to kill him." And I was like, what the heck? And the cop looked at me and said, "You heard that too?" I said, "Yeah but I hate that I did."' Her father was found stabbed to death, and four days later Maleigha was arrested and charged by warrant with first-degree murder. Authorities first investigated the molestation allegations after Maleigha told a friend about the apparent abuse at home, her mom claimed  Social media is flooded with photos of a smiling, fresh-faced Maleigha when she was younger She was held without bond until a Davidson County grand jury declined to indict her and returned a 'no true bill' – meaning there isn't enough evidence to bring a case. The charge was dismissed and Maleigha was subsequently released. But in one of the many strange twists in Maleigha's story, sheriff's detectives later presented the case to another grand jury. On July 6, that panel returned a true bill of indictment charging her with first-degree murder. She was re-arrested the following day and returned to the Davidson County Sheriff where she is still being held without bond on a first degree murder charge. 'I still miss him,' Maleigha told the Daily Mail from her jail cell. Karen Gerber, Maleigha's attorney, told the Daily Mail that it was hard to know what prompted the re-presentation of the case to a second grand jury. She could not say if new evidence had been uncovered or not. 'It's rare for a case to be re-presented to a grand jury but it's not illegal,' Gerber said.  Gerber declined to comment about the 2019 sex assault charges but a law enforcement source close to the initial investigation indicated they had good reason to believe the charges were true, despite Maleigha's later recantation. According to Amy Simerson, Maleigha had told a classmate about the abuse at home and the classmate told her mother, who notified officials. Davidson County sheriff investigators then opened the case. Michael Allen was later arrested on six felony charges including statutory sexual offense with a child under 15, incest, felony child abuse (sexual act), indecent liberties and the second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. Simerson was called down to the sheriff's department with Maleigha after deputies served a search warrant on Michael Allen's house. Simerson claims they found numerous phones and tablets belonging to Michael with dozens of inappropriate photos of Maleigha. 'They had plenty of evidence,' Simerson said. Michael Allen was arrested in 2019 on six felony charges - including statutory sexual offense with a child under 15 and incest - but they were later dropped when his daughter said she had lied Simerson alleged she witnessed Michael Allen (above) routinely demean Maleigha, ordering her to cook and clean for him and frequently calling her degrading names But on November 13, 2020, every charge was dismissed. A notation in court documents obtained by the Daily Mail indicated: 'INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE – CHILD INDICATED SHE LIED.' In the wake of her dad's arrest, Maleigha had gone to live with her paternal uncle, Thomas Allen, and his wife, Crystal, at their Lexington home. Her mother and sister allege the couple persuaded Maleigha to say she had lied. But Thomas and Crystal Allen both told the Daily Mail that wasn't true. They insisted they tried to give Maleigha a good home but described her as incorrigible and unwilling to follow basic house rules. Incredibly, according to Simerson, social service officials awarded Michael Allen legal custody of Maleigha about a year after the charges against him were dropped. Then, in an equally bizarre turn, Simerson ended up living with Michael and Maleigha in their home after she was released from prison in late 2024. Simerson alleged she witnessed Michael routinely demeaning Maleigha, ordering her to cook and clean for him and frequently calling her degrading names. She also alleged that Maleigha sometimes appeared with visible injuries after confrontations with her father. Simerson claims she also once got into a violent fight with her ex-husband during which police were called and Allen was forced to leave the home for a brief period. Eventually, Simerson said she moved out and Allen returned to live with Maleigha. Michael Allen's Facebook is filled with photos of a smiling, fresh-faced younger Maleigha. It is a stark contrast to the photos Maleigha has posted on her own social media in recent months that show her looking drugged out, with black eyes and a blank expression. 'She never used to be like that,' her sister, Sierra, said. 'She was normal and sweet and a cool little kid before this. I just think all the trauma with her dad and the family finally got to her.' 'It's hard to know what to say about her,' Lanning, the neighbor, added. 'Unfortunately, even with all the help that me and my friend and numerous other people tried to give her to get out of that situation, she'd always go back. It was like Stockholm syndrome stuff.'