Daily Archives: July 21, 2011

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A Florida teenager accused of beating his parents to death with a hammer — then throwing a party while their bodies lay in a bedroom of the family home — told his best friend he had committed the crimes, according to a police report released Wednesday.

Tyler Hadley, 17, gave a chilling account of the crimes to his friend, identified as Michael Mandell by media but referred to in an affidavit only as MM, during the party Saturday night.

Mandell told WPTV that Hadley said he had taken three ecstasy pills before murdering his parents.

Mandell said he had known Hadley since he was eight years old. Following the shocking crimes Mandell said, “I feel sick, I haven’t eaten, haven’t slept I’m just sick.”

Hadley has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in relation to the deaths of his parents, Blake Hadley, 54, and Mary-Jo Hadley, 47.

Police said Wednesday the tip-off which led them to the Port St. Lucie home early Sunday came from Mandell — and the friend also said Hadley had been intending to kill himself with an overdose of pills following the party.

Officers discovered the bodies of Hadley’s parents on the floor of the locked master bedroom, partially covered with books, files and towels, the police report said.

A claw hammer was found between them and both bodies had wounds to their head and torso. The police report states the prints on the bodies were consistent with that hammer having been used.

Police said that after the pair were murdered, Hadley placed an invitation on Facebook about 1:30pm Saturday, inviting his friends to a party at the home.

Between 40 and 60 people attended and during the party, Hadley pulled aside Mandell saying he needed to talk to him outside, The Palm Beach Post reported.

“Tyler confided in MM that he had killed his parents,” the affidavit states. “MM didn’t believe him and Tyler pointed out both his parents’ vehicles were still in the driveway.”

Hadley told Mandell he contemplated killing his mother for about five minutes as he stood behind her while she was working on a computer.

“Then he decided to strike his mother in the back of the head with a hammer,” the affidavit states. After a few strikes from the hammer, Hadley said his mother turned to him and asked, “Why?”

Hadley’s father heard his wife scream and came out of the bedroom.

“Tyler told MM that he and his father stared into each other’s eyes for a minute. Tyler said he then went after his father and murdered him,” the affidavit states.

Hadley said it took about three hours to clean up “all the blood and that it had been more than he had expected,” but it was only when he showed Mandell a bloody shoeprint on the floor of the garage that he began to believe the story.

Mandell went inside and opened the master bedroom door and saw legs “beneath a pile of items that had been thrown on the floor.”

Hadley’s attorney Mark Harllee has filed a not guilty plea on behalf of his client. Hadley is currently being held at the Port Lucie County jail in Florida.