Prosecutors in Florida have accused a 13-year-old boy of being motivated by the “Friday the 13th” horror films when he murdered his mother in 2023.
Derek Rosa faces charges for the brutal act of stabbing his mother 46 times while she slept beside her newborn in their Hialeah residence. With his trial slated for early next year, the prosecution plans to introduce evidence suggesting that Rosa had confided in friends about his plans to emulate Jason Voorhees from the horror series for Halloween, according to WTVJ.
Rosa reportedly mentioned to friends, “I’m doing Jason,” a reference to the notorious character Jason Voorhees, known for his machete-wielding killings in the franchise.
Prosecutors further allege that Rosa deliberately timed his mother’s murder to occur just before Friday, October 13, 2023 — a nod to the infamous date associated with the horror series, as reported by WTVJ.
Hours before committing the crime, Rosa reportedly conducted multiple online searches, including inquiries about “the best place to stab someone,” “Is a small knife good for killing,” “The carotid artery,” and “Can a knife cut through bone.”
Moreover, Rosa is accused of distributing a video of an Army veteran’s 2020 suicide to his friends and girlfriend both before and on the day of his mother’s murder. Witnesses claim that Rosa found the video amusing, describing it as “funny” while laughing.
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.
