12-year-old calls 911 from closet as dad kills mom’s new boyfriend, Florida cops say
When a man found out his estranged wife had a new boyfriend, he “executed” him before killing himself as his son called 911 from a closet, Florida law enforcement said.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister described it as an apparent murder-suicide.
McClatchy News is not identifying the husband to protect his son’s identity.
The 51-year-old husband and his wife split about five years ago, but the week before the incident, he “accidentally” learned his wife had been dating someone new for a few months, Chronister said at a news conference broadcast by WFTS.
He started texting and calling his estranged wife, telling her he was going to come over and kill her boyfriend then kill himself, according to the sheriff.
She didn’t call law enforcement about the threats until the situation came to a head shortly before 4 a.m. on March 19, according to Chronister.
At that time, she called 911 to say that her estranged husband was in her home threatening to kill her new boyfriend, and moments later, the couple’s 12-year-old son also called 911 from a closet saying his dad had broken into the home and there was a lot of noise downstairs, deputies said.
Dispatchers heard the husband say over the phone, “I’m going to kill you,” followed by gunshots, according to the sheriff.
When deputies got to the home minutes later, they reported finding a vehicle on fire outside and a body presumed to be the 51-year-old husband.
The boyfriend was dead inside from multiple gunshot wounds, but the sheriff’s office isn’t releasing his identity as it works to notify his next of kin.
“I’m certainly a true believer in the system, and would’ve liked to believe that maybe we could have got some injunction, maybe we could have went and made contact with the estranged husband, maybe we could have got the estranged husband some type of help …” Chronister said.
The incident occurred in Valrico, which is part of the Tampa Bay area.
Murder-suicide
Up to 600 murder-suicides happen each year, according to the FBI. They account for about 1,000 deaths a year.“
Although uncommon, such incidents vary widely in terms of the persons involved, how they are related, and where the crimes take place,” the FBI reported. “Usually, law enforcement personnel deal with murder-suicides involving two people in domestic settings or relationships.”
About 65% of murder-suicides involve intimate partners, officials said, and 81% happen in the home.
This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 1:02 PM with the headline "12-year-old calls 911 from closet as dad kills mom’s new boyfriend, Florida cops say."