NORFOLK, Va., May 29 (UPI) -- Honor student Vincent Parker, 16, admitted in court Wednesday to brutally murdering his parents because of disciplinary measures like taking away his iPod.
One week before Christmas, Parker doused his mother, Carol, with pepper spray as she walked out of her bathroom, stabbed her in the eye, and proceeded to beat her with a baseball bat and a crowbar, "until she stopped breathing."
A medical examiner later reported 25 blows and stabs to the mother's neck, face, and head. The case report said eight separate knives were used along with an aluminum baseball bat and the crowbar.
Upon his arrival at the house, Parker hit his father, Wayne, with a crowbar and stabbed him multiple times. The father was able to remain conscious long enough to explain what happened to police.
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When first interrogated, Parker tried to say that his father had attacked him but then later admitted he was the only aggressor.
"I just remember getting mad," Parker told investigators. "It's all from my dad. All this stuff like my dad taking away my iPod and stuff."
The reason for Parker's rampage remains a mystery to his family and friends. He was an honor student who enjoyed tennis and art, and wanted to be a police officer. In more than 300 of his posts on social media, nothing seemed alarming except for two and that were only worrisome in hindsight.
In one post he said in response to a question about what justifies the death penalty, "Ummm, make your son do chores."
In another he said that murder could be justifiable.
Defense attorney Emily Munn said a psychiatric evaluation showed Parker to be both sane and intelligent. He has pled guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and will be sentenced as an adult. Munn said she hopes the judge will let Parker serve at least part of his sentence in a juvenile facility.
