On Super Bowl Sunday in 2007, a 13-year-old boy in Texas committed a horrific crime that would haunt his family forever. Paris Lee stabbed his four-year-old half-sister, Ella Bennett, 17 times while their mother was working a late shift at Buffalo Wild Wings. The chilling motive: he wanted to inflict lifelong pain on his mother rather than kill her quickly.
The Night of the Murder
Charity Lee, the mother, was working a late shift on February 4, 2007. Paris convinced the babysitter to leave at 10 p.m., assuring her that the siblings would be fine until Charity returned. Once the babysitter left, Paris slipped into Ella's bedroom and murdered her in cold blood.
Paris initially feigned insanity, claiming he believed his sister was a demon. However, he later pleaded guilty and confessed that he killed Ella because he was furious with Charity and wanted to cause her pain.
The Aftermath
After the murder, Paris coolly called a friend and chatted for six minutes before alerting the police. He even pretended to perform CPR before confessing. Charity was at work when police arrived with the devastating news that her daughter had been 'hurt.' She later learned that her son was the perpetrator.
Paris, an exceptionally gifted teenager with an IQ of 141, was sentenced to 40 years in prison. He could be eligible for parole in 2027.
The Chilling Motive
Paris told police he originally intended to kill his mother as well. However, he realized that if he killed her, she would only suffer for minutes. By leaving her alive without Ella, she would suffer for the rest of her life.
In the documentary 'The Family I Had,' Paris stated, 'I chose to do my crime and I take full responsibility for my crime. I'm not insane and I don't suffer from any mental illness.'
Forgiveness and Moving Forward
Despite the unimaginable pain, Charity has forgiven Paris. She told the New York Post, 'I have forgiven Paris for what he did, but it's an ongoing process. If he was free, I would be frightened of him.'
Charity is now mother to a third child, four-year-old Phoenix, and founded the ELLA Foundation (Empathy, Love, Lessons and Action) in 2011 to support other families navigating the justice system. She said, 'On the night that Ella died, I vowed to do something meaningful in her memory. It also gave me a place to direct my rage, other than at my child.'
