Boys Kill Father, Set House Afire

In November 2001, firefighters in Cantonment, Florida, discovered the body of Terry King, brutally murdered in his home. His two sons, Derek, 13, and Alex, 12, were missing. The following day, the boys reappeared and initially confessed to killing their father after he threatened punishment for running away. They subsequently changed their story, accusing Ricky Chavis, a local handyman and friend who often cared for them, of the murder and of sexually abusing Alex. In 2002, Chavis and the King brothers were tried concurrently. The sons pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and arson, serving nearly a decade in juvenile detention. Chavis faced three separate trials, ultimately being acquitted of murder and molestation but convicted of being an accessory and false imprisonment, for which he is serving 30 years. The boys' troubled childhood, marked by their parents' separation and Terry's struggles with narcolepsy and financial hardship, contributed to their placement in a group home and foster care before reuniting with their father. Their association with Chavis, a convicted pedophile, played a significant role in the events leading to the murder. Tragically, Alex King died from a drug overdose in 2024, and Derek King was arrested in June of last year on a felony sexual-assault charge. Derek previously expressed remorse, asking his father for forgiveness.