Teen Kills Mom Over Puppy Dispute

Would a teenager really kill his own mother simply because she wouldn’t let him have a puppy? It happened in Michigan in 2017.

What happened exactly?

In the early morning of Sept. 8, 2017, 19-year-old Andrew Willson murdered his own mother Lisa while she slept in their Wheatfield Township, Michigan, home. Apparently, they had fought the night before over a puppy.

Who reported the murder?

Andrew called 911 around 7 a.m. and reported that he had arrived home after a drive, only to find his mother murdered.

How did police discover the mother’s body?

When police arrived on the scene, they found Lisa’s deceased in her bedroom, with a .22 Magnum rifle shot to the back of her head.

Did Andrew have a motive to kill his mother?

According to police reports, Andrew and Lisa had a heated disagreement the night before police found her dead. Hours before Lisa died, Andrew had told his mother he found a puppy and wanted to adopt the pup and keep it at their home. Lisa apparently told her son that the dog could not live with them - he would have to keep it at his father’s home in Dansville, Michigan.

Why did police decide to arrest Andrew?

After receiving Andrew’s 911 call, police investigated the crime scene. While searching the surrounding area, they located the murder weapon, a .22 Magnum rifle.

Andrew had been the last person known to see his mother before her death. Even though Andrew denied knowing anything about the murder, investigators found no evidence that anyone other than mother and son had been inside the home on the night of her death.

Eventually, after police uncovered several inconsistencies in Andrew’s story, the teen confessed he had shot his mother in the head while she slept.

Authorities then arrested Andrew and charged him with murder.

What happened to the murder weapon?

After Andrew’s confession, the 19-year-old told police he had obtained the .22 Magnum rifle from a locked cabinet in the middle of the night. He used it to shoot his mother and then drove around the neighborhood to find a good place to dispose of the weapon.

Police recovered the rifle during their investigation, along with a spent shell casing. The gun still contained a live round of ammunition.

What happened to Andrew after his confession?

After Andrew’s arrest, a judge sent him to jail with no bond, even though the teen had no past criminal history.

On Jan. 4, 2018, a judge ruled Andrew to be mentally fit enough to stand trial for murder charges.

Ten months later, in November 2018, Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Clinton Canady sentenced 20-year-old Andrew to a minimum of 17 years in prison, including two years for illegal use of a firearm.

This tragic case highlights how a simple family dispute can quickly escalate into violence - and how a rash decision can change two people’s lives forever.

References: Teenager, 16, ‘murdered his mother with a hammer then texted photos of body’ | Teen charged in murder of mother deemed competent to stand trial | Williamston-area man sentenced to 17 years for murder of his mother