Whenever someone is senselessly killed, it's tragic. No matter what the circumstances, any murder is more than enough to tear a family apart. However, when the killer and the deceased are both family members of the same family, the damage and pain can be tenfold. Most stepchildren love, or at the very least tolerate, their stepparents. Unfortunately, there are more than a few instances of stepchildren who killed their stepparents.
No family wants to think that it's a possibility. Sometimes the murder occurs as a result of abuse or neglect from the stepparents. Other times, the stepchild is just not wired correctly and really no one is to blame.
Often, the stepkids who murdered their parents remain a mystery, with no known motive. One day they seem fine, and then suddenly it seems that everything goes wrong. Retrospectively, there are often telltale signs like animal abuse and a lack of empathy and remorse. No matter how it happens, though, one thing is for certain - the lives of everyone involved are changed forever when a stepchild murders their stepparents.
Stepchildren Who Killed Their Stepparents,
10-Year-Old Ends His Stepfather's Life
A 10-year-old boy allegedly stabbed and killed his stepfather in self-defense. The stepfather had a history of domestic abuse and many neighbors reported hearing loud arguments regularly. One day, though, things escalated to a deadly level. Police responded to a domestic abuse incident and found the 45-year-old stepfather dead. The child stabbed his stepfather to protect his mother and will likely never be charged.
11-Year-Old Shot His Pregnant Stepmom
An 11-year-old boy shot and killed his pregnant stepmom before calmly taking the bus to school one morning. The stepson, Jordan Brown, used his own gun to shoot his stepmother in the back of the head, killing her and her unborn baby. Some have suggested that he was jealous, but the exact motive for the crime remains unclear.
Brown has maintained his innocence the whole time.
The Infamous Lizzie Borden Case
Lizzie Borden is by far the most infamous stepchild murderer of all time, with numerous books and movies depicting what may have happened.
Borden was accused of murdering her stepmother and father with an axe in 1892; however, she was acquitted of the crime in 1893. Many professionals suspect that she was in fact guilty of the crime, though it remains officially unsolved to this day.
Now she is remembered in a morbid folk rhyme that child sing while skipping rope.
15-Year-Old Killed His Abusive Mother and Stepfather
Jacob Ind was a teenager when he murdered his mother and stepfather. According to him, his brother, and other family members, Ind suffered years of abuse at the hands of his mother and stepfather. His brother claimed that they were both molested by their stepfather and, at some point, Jacob Ind started to think about killing his parents. When he was 15, he murdered them both and is now spending his life in prison.
Colt Lundy Convinced 12-Year-Old Friend to Help Murder His Stepfather
Colt Lundy was only 15 years old when he murdered his stepfather. Worse yet, he convinced his 12-year-old friend, Paul Gingerich, to help him commit the crime.
Lundy killed his 49-year-old stepfather, Phillip Danner, on April 20, 2010. The police apprehended Gingerich, Lundy, and another boy, all three of whom were given severe sentences. Gingerich and Lundy were charged as adults, though Gingerich has gone through several subsequent court battles and has had his sentence reduced.
Clown Convinces Young Girl to Murder Her Stepmother
At just twelve years old, an Indiana girl heinously murdered her stepmother. Her reason? An online fictional clown told her to.
The girl claimed to receive her orders from a popular horror character on CreepyPasta named "Laughing Jack." She stabbed and killed her stepmother before trying to set fire to the family apartment. Months before the incident, she experienced an alter ego, heard voices, and begged her father for help.
The girl's trial is still ongoing as she receives intensive psychiatric care.
After Committing a Double Homicide, Teen Goes to Times Square to Celebrate
Fifteen-year-old Destiny Garcia murdered her mother and her mother's longtime boyfriend for unclear reasons. Initially, Garcia claimed that her mother's boyfriend, Anderson Nunez, had sexually abused her. Later, she apparently changed her story and said that her mother was the one who abused her and Nunez simply had never done anything to stop the abuse.
Perhaps the most bone-chilling aspect of the story is after performing the murders, Garcia went to Times Square to celebrate New Year's Eve.
Teenager Went on a Killing Spree, Slaughtering His Mother, Stepfather, and Grandmother
Robert Seth Denton, a 19-year-old man, shot and killed three of his family members. Even more horrifying is that six children were witness to the murders.
Denton used a high-powered rifle to murder his mother, stepfather, and grandmother in their Tennessee mobile home, with the children inside. While trying to escape, Denton was shot by his grandfather, and, shortly after, authorities apprehended the injured Denton.
19-Year-Old Man Robbed and Killed His Stepmother
Dylan Eason reportedly killed his stepmother, veterinarian Dr. Campbell Eason, and may have robbed her as well. The 19-year-old has not been convicted of the murder yet, but he has been arrested and charged with murder, along with an accomplice. The motive is unknown.
The man's father believes that the death penalty is appropriate for both his son and the accomplice.
Man Stabs His Stepfather More Than 20 Times
A 43-year-old Texas man was found dead in his family home after being stabbed over 20 times.
The murderer was 25-year-old Michael Lopez, his stepson. While there appears to be no reason why Lopez would murder his stepfather, his family said he was released from a treatment facility one week prior. The mindless killing would have been prevented if the treatment center did not release the troubled young man.