A 13-year-old boy stabbed his four-year-old sister to death in their Texas home, later telling police he spared their mother so she would suffer for a lifetime.
The Night of the Murder
On Super Bowl Sunday, February 4, 2007, Charity Lee was working a late shift at Buffalo Wild Wings in Abilene, Texas. Her son Paris Bennett, then 13, persuaded the babysitter to leave at 10 p.m., claiming he and his half-sister Ella would be fine alone. Once the babysitter left, Paris crept into Ella's bedroom and attacked her brutally.
Ella was beaten, strangled, and stabbed 17 times. Paris then casually called a friend for six minutes before contacting police. He initially pretended to perform CPR before confessing.
A Chilling Explanation
Paris first claimed he thought Ella was a demon, but later pleaded guilty and admitted the true motive: he was angry at his mother and wanted to hurt her. He told police he had considered killing Charity as well but decided against it. As Charity later revealed, Paris said, 'If he'd killed me, I only would have suffered for five, 10, 15 minutes. But if he left me alive [without Ella], I would suffer for the rest of my life.'
Aftermath and Forgiveness
Paris, who had an IQ of 141, was sentenced to 40 years in prison and could be eligible for parole in 2027. Charity, despite her grief, has forgiven her son. In 2011, she founded the ELLA Foundation (Empathy, Love, Lessons and Action) to help other families navigating the justice system. She now has a third child, Phoenix, and continues to share her story.
In the documentary 'The Family I Had', Paris stated, 'I chose to do my crime and I take full responsibility. I'm not insane and I don't suffer from any mental illness.' Charity told the New York Post, 'I have forgiven Paris, but it's an ongoing process. If he was free, I would be frightened of him.'
