Florida prosecutors alleged that a 13-year-old boy who killed his mother in 2023 was inspired by the “Friday the 13th” horror franchise.
Derek Rosa is charged with fatally stabbing his mother 46 times as she slept near her newborn daughter in their Hialeah home. Rosa is set to stand trial early next year, and prosecutors are seeking to have various materials submitted, including evidence that Rosa told friends he was going to be Jason Voorhees for Halloween, according to WTVJ.
Rosa reportedly told friends, “I’m doing Jason.” Prosecutors claimed the teen was referring to Jason Voorhees, the franchise’s central character who typically kills his victims with a machete.
According to WTVJ, prosecutors also claimed Rosa intentionally killed his mother an hour before Friday, October 13, 2023 — or Friday the 13th.
Rosa conducted various online searches hours before the slaying, including “Where is the best place to stab someone,” Is a small knife good for killing,” “The carotid artery,” and “Can a knife cut through bone.”
Additionally, Rosa allegedly shared footage of an Army veteran’s 2020 suicide with his friends and girlfriend before and on the day of his mother’s murder. Witnesses claimed Rosa laughed and described the graphic video as “funny.”
Prosecutors said the newest batch of evidence highlights Rosa’s “morbid fascination with blood, death, and gore,” according to WTVJ.
After the slaying, Rosa allegedly told investigators how he woke up, got a kitchen knife, and repeatedly stabbed his mother. He reportedly also sent a friend two photos of his mother and a selfie, which apparently showed blood on his hands.
The teen allegedly told a 911 dispatcher that he sent pictures of his dead mother to someone he met online. He went on to tell the dispatcher that there was blood all over the floor.
“I took pictures and I told my friend about it,” he allegedly said in the 911 call. “Was that bad?”
Rosa is charged as an adult with first-degree murder. A hearing for the latest motions is scheduled for later this month.
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[Featured image: Miami-Dade Prosecutor’s Office]
