Florida Mom Thought She Had Raised A Typical Son. Then She Heard Him Confess To Murder

When Dawn Haas gave commencement to her son, nan Florida mom said she felt for illustration she was doing thing correct for a alteration – bringing a cleanable boy into nan world.

But complete nan years, small Justyn Pennell began to show behaviors that Haas recovered disturbing. She’d aftermath up to him staring astatine her. Fits of rage would flooded him. Watching others being injured amused him.

There was thing not correct astir him, Haas thought. But he was still her “sweet, babe boy,” and nan thought of him doing thing tragic ne'er crossed her mind.

“I conscionable killed someone,” Pennell admitted successful a 911 call. “I don’t cognize what’s incorrect pinch me.”

On January 9, 2020, Pennell was retired successful Hudson, Florida, erstwhile he struck and killed 75-year-old Michael Pratt, a Vietnam seasoned and grandfather who was retired stepping pinch his cane. The then-21-year-old was sentenced to life successful situation aft he pleaded nary title to nan murder. Haas thought she understood what her boy had done.

That was until she heard his 911 confession for nan first time.

“That’s not nan Justyn I know,” she said. “That’s not him.”

His calm demeanor and detached consciousness of nan business shocks his mother, who wipes her tears and shakes her head, asking why.

“There’s truthful overmuch much to him that I didn't see, there’s truthful overmuch much to him that I didn’t know,” she tells a documentary crew. “How does this happen?”

A chilling confession

Haas’s communicative is 1 of respective featured successful Evil Lives Here: My Child nan Killer, a caller Investigation Discovery spinoff that explores nan devastating reality of parents who realized their children were tin of nan unthinkable.

In nan first section of nan series, which premieres connected March 31, Haas hears, for nan first time, nan 911 telephone her boy made conscionable moments aft he plowed down Pratt, sidesplitting him. Pennell, who was 21 years aged astatine nan time, could beryllium heard connected nan telephone telling nan dispatcher what he’s done – that he deed someone, and that it was intentional.

“I’ve been driving astir roads looking for group I tin deed while avoiding witnesses.” he admitted

“I saw nan aged feline pinch nan cane and past I made a U-turn,” he continues. “I conscionable went for him.”

In an question and reply pinch police, Pennell admitted that he conscionable wanted to cognize what it felt for illustration to termination someone. When asked astir different methods he has considered, he told investigators that he ever had a fondness for knives.

“I mean I’m really fond of knives,” he says successful nan recording. “I was reasoning astir slicing group up and cutting them open. Dissecting them, essentially.”

Haas mother sobs connected camera arsenic she hears her boy speak truthful nonchalantly astir murder. She besides sees, for nan first time, photos of items recovered from his car nan time of nan killing, which see aggregate types of knives, gloves, and a hatchet.

“That’s a literal execution kit,” she reacts successful horror. Haas stares astatine nan images, trying to reconcile them pinch nan boy she raised.

‘An enactment of axenic evil’

Pennell, who had told investigators he had been reasoning astir sidesplitting personification for “several months.” He had ne'er met Pratt. There was nary relationship betwixt them – only opportunity.

“The fishy drives past him, intentionally makes a U-turn, goes toward nan unfortunate and starts accelerating astatine a precocious complaint of speed,” Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said astatine a property convention aft nan killing.

“The fishy tells america later connected that while he’s driving, he tin spot nan look of fright connected nan victim’s face. He tin spot that fearfulness and he tin spot nan emotion of, ‘Oh my gosh, this person’s astir to deed me,’ and nan unfortunate tries to get retired of nan way. The fishy intentionally runs him over.”

Pratt died astatine nan scene.

“It was an enactment of axenic evil,” nan sheriff said.

After slamming into nan victim, Pennell didn’t flee. His busted conveyance came to a extremity astatine nan segment of nan crash, wherever he called 911 and waited for nan authorities to arrive. It was Pennell’s guidance to Pratt’s decease that stunned his mother.

When asked astir really he felt aft hitting Pratt, he told investigators: “I conscionable smiled and laughed. I enjoyed it, but afterwards, I calmed down. I was much ashamed that I collapsed nan car.”

Signs of a psychopath?

Long earlier nan crime, location were moments his mother couldn’t afloat explain. Her boy made comments that didn’t consciousness right, she explained successful nan docuseries.

When he was conscionable 9 years old, he became irritated pinch a duck that was swimming adjacent him truthful he slammed it against a log complete and over. When he was a teenager, and his relative was struck by a car, each he could do was laugh.

“It created a reddish emblem successful nan backmost of my encephalon that he mightiness beryllium a psychopath,” Haas said. “Something is not correct pinch him.”

Haas said she tried to get her boy help, had him evaluated by doctors. But was told that he was conscionable a emblematic kid - and location was thing to beryllium alarmed about.

“I was worried I mightiness find him connected nan news,” Haas said. Within a fewer short years, she did.

“It’s conscionable been a horrible dream, a nightmare,” she added. “I conscionable want to aftermath up from it.”

In 2022, much than 2 years aft his arrest, Pennell changed his plea. He pleaded nary title to first-degree premeditated murder. A no-contest plea intends a suspect does not admit guilt but will not situation nan charges.

In court, Pennell said he had been diagnosed pinch Asperger’s, slump and post-traumatic accent disorder. He acknowledged he was not taking medicine astatine nan clip but said he was tin of making a clear decision. Judge Mary Handsel sentenced Pennell to life successful prison.

Haas continues to support successful touch pinch her son, whom she lovingly calls “Bubby.”

For nan Florida mother, nan hardest portion isn’t conscionable what her boy did. It was proceeding his deepest, darkest thoughts. And trying to understand really nan boy she raised became a slayer – while wondering whether nan signs were ever there.

“The mom successful maine is still emotion nan wounded he’s feeling,” she said betwixt sobs. “Because I tin hole him and make him better? No, I tin conscionable emotion him. “

Evil Lives Here: My Child nan Killer premieres Tuesday, March 31 astatine 9/8c connected ID, pinch episodes disposable to watercourse connected HBO Max.