MIDDLEBURG, Fla. – Parricide is a crime we don’t often hear about.
On Monday morning, David Lee, 44, and his wife, Brandi Smith, 45, were found shot to death inside their home in Middleburg. Clay County investigators identified the couple’s son as their killer. He was identified as Trevor Lee, 14.
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Detectives said the teen walked to a nearby church, called 911, and waited for deputies to arrest him. Lee was taken to the regional juvenile detention center in Jacksonville, where he remains on two counts of murder.
The crimes the 14-year-old is accused of are called parricides, which occur when a child kills a parent.
When news broke Monday morning about a kid accused of killing his parent, neighbors living in the Silver Oak subdivision along Silver Point were left shocked.
“For it to get to that point, to where he felt like it was the only option he had, was the saddest thing you could possibly think of,” said neighbor Seth Myers.
News4JAX consulted with Dr. Justin D’Arienzo, a forensic psychologist who specializes in evaluating minors who have been implicated in heinous crimes.
He said several reasons and factors could potentially contribute to a child attempting to kill their parents.
“Kids who are experiencing depression, or significant anxiety, or other mental health problems, or kids who may be addicted to drugs, or have a neuro-cognitive developmental disorder, have a great likelihood of doing something like this, but it’s very rare,” said Dr. D’Arienzo.
Dr. D’Arienzo was asked about the teen calling 911 from a church and waiting for deputies to arrive to take him into custody.
Data from the Parricide Prevention Institute echoes Dr. D’Arienzo’s comments. According to the institute, parricide is so rare that only 2% of all US murders since 2010 were identified as parricide cases. Data also shows that in 65% of the cases, the kids who killed their parents were not abused.
Currently, the 14-year-old is not being charged as an adult.