Mom Discovers Her 13 Year Old Son Just Killed Someone

In the small village of Fairfax, Ohio, a 13-year-old boy slipped out of his house at 2:30 AM, walked ten feet to his neighbor's door, and began strangling 64-year-old Sheila Tenpenny in her bed. She fought back, scratching his face and drawing blood, but he killed her anyway. By 3:15 AM he was back in his own bed. The next morning, when police arrived, they had no idea the killer was watching them from across the street.

The Investigation That Almost Missed the Killer

The case initially baffled investigators. Sheila's brother Darrell had called 911 insisting she was murdered before paramedics had even suggested foul play, which made him the prime suspect for a week. The crime scene itself was confusing—Sheila had been partially covered, and cleaning chemicals were present. Beneath her body lay a men's wristwatch that officers initially dismissed as insignificant.

When DNA results came back, they overturned everything. Sheila had been strangled after blunt force trauma, and beneath her fingernails was DNA from an unknown male. Officers began canvassing the neighborhood, collecting elimination samples from everyone. They had no idea the killer was a child who had been planning this for months, researching serial killers like Ted Bundy and watching YouTube tutorials on how to avoid leaving DNA behind.

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