“Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.”
–Oscar Wilde
Parent-child relationships are a tricky thing and often go through multiple different stages throughout life. In the best of situations, your parents love you and you love them. But as this articles show, sometimes children can hate their parents – enough to kill. Whether it was for money, revenge, or just plain evil, the people in these 8 cases murdered the ones that brought them into this world.
Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions that some may find disturbing
Joel Michael Guy Jr – Convicted of brutally murdering and dismembering his parents, Lisa and Joel Guy Sr.
According to Joel’s half sisters – through his father’s previous marriage – Joel was a very shy child who didn’t make friends easily. He was described as a recluse even in his own home, often hiding in his room when his sisters came to visit.
By the time Joel Jr was 28, he had dropped out of university twice, had never worked and relied solely on his parents for almost everything.
While Lisa and Joel Sr doted on their only child in the past, in November 2016, they made the decision to cut him off financially. It was then that Joel Jr began hatching his plan, outlining the specifics in his notebook.
On November 26th 2016, Joel Jr waited for his mother to leave the house. He then went upstairs to attack his father. Joel Sr was stabbed more than 40 times; the scene showed that he had put up one hell of a fight.
After killing his father, Joel Jr waited for his mother, Lisa, to come home. He then ambushed her in the same way, stabbing her 31 times. He proceeded to dismember both bodies, placing the majority of body parts into a large plastic bin filled with a corrosive solution, and others, most notably, his mother’s severed head, into a pot over the stove.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before this monster was taken off the streets. Just 3 days later, police arrested Joel Michael Guy Jr, and collected a myriad of evidence, including the notebook in which he detailed his crimes. In his writings, he cited his parents $500,00 life insurance policies as his motivation for the murders.
In October 2020, a jury took just 3 hours to find Joel Michael Guy Jr guilty of first degree murder, felony murder and abuse of a corpse. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Jeffrey Pyne – Convicted of murdering his mother, Ruth Pyne.
On May 27th, 2011, Bernie Pyne came home to find his wife, and mother of his two children, dead on the floor of the garage in a bloody scene. Ruth had been bludgeoned and stabbed 16 times. The overkill told investigators this was a personal crime. They felt Ruth had been killed by someone she knew, as robbery did not appear to be a motive and clues suggested that the killer might have had a key to the house. The two suspects were narrowed down to Ruth’s husband, Bernie, and her 21 year old son, Jeffrey.
When Bernie was able to provide an ironclad alibi, Jeffrey shifted into the primary position.
It was later determined that Jeffrey had a number of injuries on his hands. While Jeffrey said they were blisters from work, police believed they were the result of swinging a blunt instrument – possibly the weapon used to bludgeon Ruth Pyne.
Jeffrey was arrested for the murder of his mother and put on trial in the Fall of 2011. The prosecution argued that Jeffrey had a turbulent relationship with his mother, who had struggled with a number of mental health issues in the past. Because of this, Jeffrey often had to step in and take care of his little sister. It was this rocky history that motivated Jeffrey to murder his mother, the prosecution said.
Despite the lack of physical evidence, Jeffrey was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to 20-60 years behind bars.
Jeffrey continues to fight for his freedom while incarcerated with support from The Innocence Project.
To hear more about this case, listen to my coverage on my podcast, Always Time for True Crime
Tyler Hadley – Convicted of murdering his parents, Blake and Mary-Jo Hadley.
It’s reported that in the past, Tyler had told his friends numerous times that he wanted to kill his parents; unfortunately, nobody ever took him seriously. He finally acted on this in July 2011.
On July 16th 2011, 17 year old Tyler hid his parents cell phones, locked his dog in the closet, and picked up a claw hammer he had found in the garage. He first attacked his mother, Mary-Jo. According to Tyler’s later statement, his mother could only scream the words ‘WHY’ as he beat her over the head.
Hearing screams, Tyler’s father, Blake, came rushing into the room. Tyler began swinging the hammer at him too. After a long fight, unarmed Blake was no match for his son and the hammer and he too, fell to the ground dead.
After the murders, Tyler cleaned up the blood and dragged his parents bodies into their bedroom. Then, he threw a party. He announced on social media that his parents were out of town and hosted more than 100 teenagers at his house that night – all while his parents lay dead in the next room.
Later that same night, Tyler confessed to a friend what he had done. This friend, after partying for a few more hours, told police the next morning.
Tyler was arrested and charged with his parents murder. During the investigation, it was determined that Blake and Mary-Jo had been planning to send their son to a treatment program for drugs – something Tyler had been struggling with for years. This, as well as a general hatred for his parents, is believed to be the motivation behind the double murder.
Tyler Hadley was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Because Tyler was under 18 when he committed the crimes, the law requires that his case and sentence will be reviewed after 25 years. For now, he remains behind bars.
Jennifer Pan – Convicted of murdering her father, Hann Pan & the attempted murder of her mother, Bich Pan.
In November 2010, 24 year old Jennifer Pan called 911 and through frantic cries for help, explained that someone had broken into the house she shared with her parents, Hann and Bich. But it was all an act.
Police would quickly poke holes in Jennifer’s story and learn the truth of what really happened that night.
Jennifer had grown up in a very strict household, never having been allowed to date, go to parties or even the freedom to do as she pleased. Everything she did was monitored and she was expected to be an obedient overachiever.
As Jennifer got older, she began to lie to her parents – about her boyfriend, Daniel, about her job and even about having graduated highschool. When the truth came out, Hann and Bich put their 23 year old daughter under what Jennifer described as ‘house arrest.’ No friends. No phone. And especially no boyfriend.
In the Spring of 2010, Jennifer first suggested the idea of killing her parents, but she would need help. Recruiting some ‘troublesome’ friends, she hatched a plan. On November 8th 2010, with Jennifer’s instruction, 3 men entered the front door of the home with guns. Two of them took Hann and Bich down to the basement, while the third tied Jennifer to the bannister to help stage the scene.
Two floors below her, Jennifer heard shots. Hann was shot twice – once in the shoulder and once in the face. Jennifer’s mother, Bich, was shot 3 times in the head and died instantly.
It was then that Jennifer made the call to 911. However, there was one thing that Jennifer hadn’t counted on that night – her father’s survival.
Hann lived to tell the tale, informing investigators that he had witnessed his daughter chatting and joking around with some of the intruders. A clear story quickly emerged. Through text messages, police were able to prove that Jennifer had planned the attack with the help of the boyfriend, Daniel, and his 3 friends.
Jennifer was convicted of first degree murder and attempted murder and subsequently sentenfed to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Her 4 accomplices were all tried separately, yet were also found guilty.
Jennifer remains incarcerated and will not be eligible for parole until she is 49 years old.
If you want to hear more about this case, listen to my coverage on my podcast, Always Time for True Crime
Brian Blackwell – convicted of murdering his parents, Sydney and Jacqueline Blackwell
Brian was born in 1986 – the only child of Jacqueline and Sydney Blackwell. By all accounts, Brian was an incredibly intelligent child. He excelled in school and his parents had high hopes for him after he graduated.
But Brian was a pathological liar and would later be diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It started off with Brian exaggerating his exam grades to his school friends. While that was all harmless, it quickly escalated as he grew into a teenager.
When Brian met his girlfriend, Amal, he won her over by telling her he was a professional tennis player – claiming he was being sponsored by Nike. He managed to take it a step further by then offering her a job as his secretary, promising her an annual salary of £82,000. Amal was ecstatic to not only be making a very generous wage, but also to be working with the one she loved. But just like his past lies, this too would quickly spiral out of control.
Three months into her new ‘job’, Amal asked Brian why she hadn’t been paid yet. Hoping for an immediate fix, Brian wrote her a cheque for £39,000 – one that he must’ve expected to later bounce, as it’s reported he only had 9 pence in his account at the time.
Fortunately for him, he had a back up plan – his school trust fund that his parents had set up for him. When Brian withdrew £9,000 from the account – using said money to buy his girlfriend a car – his parents were, understanbly, furious.
This was when Brian knew that he didn’t want to live life needing his parent’s approval to spend money. Now most 18 year olds would go out and get a job – have their own spending money. But not Brian.
On the morning of July 25th 2004, Brian booked two plane tickets to New York for the next day using his Dad’s credit card – without his knowledge. Hours later, Sydney and Jacqueline returned home from dinner and confronted Brian about the plane tickets. After arguing for a few minutes, Brain walked away and Sydney went back to sitting in his lounge chair, but it wasn’t over. Brian retrieved a claw hammer that they had used to recently hang some new pictures and returned to the living room, striking his father over the head. Hearing a commotion, Jacqueline ran from the kitchen into the living room holding a knife.
Brian wrestled the weapon from his mother before he then began attacking her too. He later told investigators that he didn’t expect them to die ‘so easily’.
The morning after the murders, Brian and his girlriend flew to New York for a lavish three week vacation. Whenever someone asked about his parents, he would tell them they were on vacation in Spain. Until one day in early September, when neighbours complained about a foul smell coming from the Blackwell house. Almost 6 weeks after Brian brutally murdered his parents, the badly decomposed bodies of Sydney and Jacqueline Blackwell were discovered.
While Brian initially maintained his innocence, he later confessed and was charged with murder. In July 2005, Brian was convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to his personality disorder. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 12 years.
Thomas Bartlett “Bart” Whitaker -2003 – Convicted of murdering his mother, Patricia, and his brother, Kevin, as well as the attempted murder of his father, Kent.
Just like many others on this list, Bart Whitaker was manipulative and deceptive. Born in 1979, he grew up in Texas with his parents and younger brother, Kevin. During his childhood, Bart seemed to be close with his parents; his mother, Patricia, was known as a fun, loving mother who always put her kids first and his father, Kent, spent lots of time with both of his sons – often taking them on bike rides or fun days out. They showered their children with affection and a comfortable lifestyle.
However, according to Bart, he always felt as though he wasn’t good enough and doubted whether or not his parents really loved him. At age 17, Bart began acting out – committing a series of burglaries with his friends, which he would later be convicted of. After his juvenile trouble, Patricia and Kent put their son in therapy. They knew he was a smart kid and felt he had just gone through a rough phase. His parents were relieved when Bart was accepted at Baylor University and began attending in 2001. However, before even finishing his first year, Bart transferred to Sam Houston State University. Unfortunately, his start there was even rockier than his brief time at Baylor.
Bart skipped so many classes that he was put on academic probation. He blew through the money his parents had given him for tuition on unnecessary things. Eventually, Bart found himself in a very tangled web of lies.
He kept this up for years, until 2003, when Bart told his parents he was graduating SHSU with honours, when in reality, he still hadn’t completed his freshman year. Patricia and Kent were ecstatic that Bart had turned his life around and had received a great education.
On December 10th 2003, Bart returned home from ‘university’, telling his parents he had just taken his last exam. The family of 4 went out to celebrate at a fancy restaurant and Patricia and Kent gave their son a graduation present to show him just how proud they were – a $4,000 rolex watch.
But whatever presents and words of affirmation his parents gave him was apparently not enough for him to call off the plan he had concocted two months earlier. Unbeknownst to his family, Brian had hired his two friends, Chris Brashear and Steven Champagne, to act as burglars and kill his parents and brothers in a ‘robbery gone wrong.’
After dinner, the 4 of them drove home. As they pulled into the driveway, Bart said he needed to get something out of his car – thus ensuring he would be the last one in the house.
Bart’s brother, Kevin, entered the home first. Chris Brashear had been laying in wait for the family to return. He shot Kevin once in the chest. Patricia didn’t even have time to react when she entered the front hall; she too was shot in the chest.
Kent was able to dodge the bullet coming straight for him and was only struck in the shoulder. Then came Bart. Bart staged a fight with his friend, in which they agreed Braschear would shoot him in the arm so the story looked believable.
Under the impression that he had killed the three targets, Braschear exited through the back door and hopped in the car with Steven Champagne, who had been parked around the corner.
Neighbours who had heard the commotion called 911 and medics were quickly dispatched. Kevin was pronounced dead at the scene. Kent, Patrcia and Bart were rushed to the hospital, but Patricia died shortly after arriving.
As police began looking into the family to try to understand if anyone had motive to kill them, they learned that Bart was not a student at SHSU like he had told them he was. From there, Bart’s lies began to unravel. Investigators tracked down his friends, Brashear and Champagne, who broke down and confessed the entire plot – naming Bart as the mastermind.
After running away to Mexico in an attempt to evade justice, police located Bart in September 2005 and charged him with capital murder.
The now 26 year old, Bart Whitaker, pleaded guilty, expressing remorse for his actions. The jury didn’t buy it. On March 5th 2007, Thomas Bartlett Whitaker was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death.
Despite his son’s heinous crimes, Bent Whitaker chose to forgive Bart, fighting for the state to drop the death penalty. In 2018, two days before his scheduled execution, Bart Whitaker’s sentence was commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Erika De Nardo – Convicted of murdering her mother, Susy Cassini and brother, Gianluca De Nardo.
By all accounts, Erika De Nardo grew up in a loving household with her mother, father and younger brother. Though as she got older, Erika and her mother, Susy, began to butt heads more and more, as many young girls do with their parents during those teenage years. Susy confided in her friends that 16 year old Erika had started acting out – missing curfew, skipping school, and even experimenting with drugs. To add fuel to the fire, Susy was vocal to Erika about the fact that she did not approve of her boyfriend, Omar Favaro. She felt that these new changes in her daughter’s life could be attributed to him.
Text messages showed that the young lovebirds dreamed of running away together to start a new life of their own – no responsibility, no school, and no parents.
While police believe Erika was the mastermind behind it, the two came up with a plan to get rid of Erika’s family.
On February 21st 2001, Erika and Omar waited in the house for Susy and Gianluca to arrive home. As the car pulled into the driveway, the two teens grabbed their weapons – two knives taken from the kitchen – and hid in the bathroom. Susy entered into the kitchen, while 11 year old Gianluca ran upstairs to have a bath. It’s then that Erika pounced on her mother, viciously stabbing her while her mother screamed “Erika what are you doing? Why are you doing this? What have I done?”. Erika yelled for Omar to join in, which he did.
An autopsy later determined the two had stabbed her over 40 times.
As Susy lay dying, she begged, with her last breath, for them not to hurt Gianluca, but those cries were ignored.
Erika ran upstairs to find her little brother, who was desperately trying to lock himself in his room. Erika was able to get a hold of Gianluca and drag him down the hall to the bathroom. There, Erika and Omar brutally stabbed the little boy 57 times – simultaneously drowning him in the bathtub.
After murdering two of her family members, Erika decided that she was too tired to wait for her father to return home, as he was also an intended target. From there, the charade began.
Omar fled through the back door while Erika ran out into the street screaming and begging for help. Her cries attracted the attention of many neighbours, who immediately came to her aid and called the police.
When investigators arrived on scene, Erika gave an elaborate story of two Albanian men breaking into the house and killing her mother and brother, but right away, police noticed discrepancies in her story. The blood splatter in the kitchen and on the stairs did not match what Erika was telling them and there was no sign of forced entry or robbery.
The two teenagers were brought down to the station and purposely left alone in the interrogation room – all while police recorded their entire interaction. It didn’t take long before Erika and Omar began talking to one another about the murders and what they needed to say in order to make sure their stories aligned.
In the following days, DNA from the crime scene and text messages between the two would seal Erika and Omar’ fate. Erika was sentenced to 16 years in prison; Omar received a 14 year sentence. Both have since been released and have rebuilt their lives and their relationship with their families. While Omar moved to another area to live a quiet life, Erika De Nardo still lives locally and is happily married.
If you want to hear more about this case, listen to my coverage on my podcast, Always Time for True Crime
Joseph Lyle Menéndez and Erik Galen Menéndez – convicted of murdering José and Mary Louise (“Kitty”) Menéndez
Okay – I know this case is two siblings, but since they worked together, I count this as one case.
The murders of José and Kitty Menéndez had all of America divided when their two sons, Joseph, who went by Lyle, and Erik, were both convicted of first degree murder in 1996.
The events that took place on August 20th 1989, were gruesome. José and Kitty had both been shot several times – José 6 times and Kitty 10 times. When a call from 21 year old Lyle Menéndez, screaming and crying that someone had murdered his parents, came into the station, police were quick to respond.
Lyle and his brother, 18 year old Erik, explained to the officers that the two of them had been out at the movies that night and had just come home to the grisly scene.
They suggested that the mob may be responsible, but the obvious overkill told investigators otherwise; to them, it seemed personal. Even with this suspicion, police didn’t point the finger at Lyle or Erik just yet. In fact, the brothers’ tears were so convincing that police did not test their hands for gunshot residue or even take them in for an interview.
As investigators worked to see who had motive to kill José and Kitty, Lyle and Erik were enjoying blowing through the money that their parents had left in their will. In just a few short weeks, the brothers had spent close to $700,000 on luxury items. It was enough for police to turn their heads and start looking at the boys as suspects.
Two months after the murders, Lyle, seemingly overcome with guilt, confessed to his therapist on tape that he had had a role in his parent’s murder. When Erik heard that his brother had spilt their secret, he was enraged and told Lyle’s therapist that if he ever told police, they would kill him too.
For 5 months, the therapist kept quiet, until he could no longer take the burden and finally handed the taped confession over to police. In March 1990, Lyle and Erik were arrested and charged with murder.
But here’s where the narrative changed.
The Menéndez brothers asserted that their motive for the double murder was an abusive upbringing. They said their father had begun molesting them at ages 6 and 7 and argued that their mother was not only aware of the abuse, but also sometimes a participant.
Several family members testified in court that the sexual abuse did infact happen. The brothers’ claims were further corroborated by sexually explicit photographs that José had taken of his young sons.
The case went to trial in 1993 with the defense’s argument being that the boys had reached their breaking point after years of abuse and had told their father that they were ready to tell the truth. This confrontation allegedly led to José threatening to kill his sons if they exposed his secret.
The prosecution, on the other hand, believed that the murders were financially motivated.
The jury was divided and after two deadlocks, the trial was declared a mistrial in 1994.
The brothers were back on trial the following year. This time, the jury sided with the prosecution. After a 7 month trial, both Lyle and Erik Menéndez were found guilty of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and were sentenced to life in prison without the possiblity of parole.
It’s been almost 25 years since the murders, yet many are still divided on whether or not the Menéndez brothers deserved the sentenced they got.
What do you think? Should the abuse they endured have been considered during sentencing?
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