Honor-roll student, 16, says he beat parents to death with a crowbar after they took his iPod away

  • Vincent Parker pleaded guilty on Wednesday to murdering his parents Carol and Wayne Parker last December
  • He says no specific fight prompted the brutal act and that he was just mad about 'stuff like my dad taking away my iPod'
  • The 16-year-old will be sentenced in September and could face decades behind bars

By Ashley Collman

Published: 01:10 EST, 29 May 2014 | Updated: 11:14 EST, 29 May 2014

Going to prison: Vincent Parker, 16, has pleaded guilty to murdering his parents last December

Going to prison: Vincent Parker, 16, has pleaded guilty to murdering his parents last December

A 'smart' and 'sane' 16-year-old said he beat his parents to death over normal punishments, in court on Wednesday.

Tenth-grader Vincent Parker murdered his mother Carol, 57, and father Wayne, 55, in their Norfolk, Virginia home just before Christmas last year.

The only-child skipped school to carry out the slayings, which weren't spurned by any particular argument.

'I just remember getting mad,' Parker told the court. 'It's all from my dad. All this stuff like my dad taking away my iPod and stuff.'

Parker pleaded guilty to two counts of second degree murder, after a psychological evaluation found him to be both sane and intelligent. He was charged as an adult and will be sentenced in September.

Parker carried out the act on December 19, 2013 and left school early while his dad was still at work.

He showed up at the family home on the 100 block of Bland Ave, and surprised his mother exiting the upstairs bathroom by dousing her in pepper spray.

Parker went on to stab his mother in the eye, and beat her with a crowbar and metal baseball bat 'until she stopped breathing'.

A medical examiner noted 25 separate smashes and stabs on Mrs Parker's neck, face and head.

When his dad got back from work, Parker beat him with the crowbar and stabbed him multiple times.

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Parker left school early on December 19, and beat his mother Carol (left) to death before his father came home from work. When Wayne Parker (right) arrived at the home, his son beat his with a crowbar and stabbed him several times
Parker left school early on December 19, and beat his mother Carol (left) to death before his father came home from work. When Wayne Parker (right) arrived at the home, his son beat his with a crowbar and stabbed him several times

Parker left school early on December 19, and beat his mother Carol (left) to death before his father came home from work. When Wayne Parker (right) arrived at the home, his son beat his with a crowbar and stabbed him several times

Mr Parker was able to call 911 for help, but by the time authorities arrived on the scene it was too late for his wife.

Mr Parker was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead, but not before fingering his son as the culprit.

 

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Parker initially told police his father was the attacker, but later recounted and admitted to the beatings.

Investigators recovered five bloody knives, a baseball bat, and crowbar on the scene.

When police arrived on the scene, Parker's mother was already dead. Wayne Parker was later pronounced dead at the hospital

When police arrived on the scene, Parker's mother was already dead. Wayne Parker was later pronounced dead at the hospital

Parker was on the honor roll and had no criminal record before the murders.

While he will be sentenced as an adult, the District Attorney is going to ask that at least part of his sentence be served at a juvenile facility.

If sentenced with the maximum on both counts, Parker could face decades behind bars.

His maternal grandfather Allen Taylor says he has forgiven his grandson and is pulling for a shorter sentence.

'He is a smart young man. He is smart in school. I don’t know what happened,' Mr Taylor told reporters outside court on Wednesday.

'I want him to get some type of counseling. Help him to grow up and to be an understanding man. Be sorry for what he did do. I told him to ask God to forgive him to what he did.

Forgiven: Parker's grandfather Allen Taylor, Carol's father, says he's forgiving his grandson and hopes he gets a shorter sentence and treatment

Forgiven: Parker's grandfather Allen Taylor, Carol's father, says he's forgiving his grandson and hopes he gets a shorter sentence and treatment

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Way to screw up your young life young man.

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Throw away the key. He's insane to do that for no reason. He'll do it again if he's let out.

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An ego centric sociopath, perfectly sane, he rationalized his acts and knew full well the consequences and yet has little if any impulse control. Should be considered a threat to society and dealt with accordingly. He will continue to be a threat in prison, solitary confinement seems to be his future.

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This poor crazy world has gone mad.

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Crow bar control is what we need! Not gun control!

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I don't remember the last time anyone fired a crow bar into a crowd, killing dozens, do you?

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Its very easy to kill people in an enclosed space, you can even beat someone to death, while you couldnt do the same in the open, they could simply run away, while with a gun you could take them out down the street, but good job capitalising on the deaths of two people to spread your smart views on gun control.

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This is why you have to start saying "no" to children at age 4, 5 & 6, not when they're 16. The idea of limitations and parameters has to be set early on or else the concept of patience and self-control is completely lost on older kids. Man, what a waste of a seemingly good family.

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You better start younger than that if you expect to have control. Also don't allow violent video games, tv shows or music.

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What an unfair comment. How do you know that was the first time he was told no?

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SAD!

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It makes me wonder how they judge sane from insane in these circumstances. To me stabbing your mother in the eye and beating and stabbing her to death then waiting for your father so you can do the same to him doesn't seem sane at all to me

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An I pod is a teenager's connection to their own life with their friends, not just a gadget. Having said that, this is a far from normal reaction, even if anger had been building up over other things for a long time, so I don't know if the boy is psychopathic or what is the matter. Very tragic all round.

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Are kids simply intolerant to being corrected or told what to do after a certain age? Are they insane and we don't know it? This happens a lot!

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