Tyler Hadley: The teen who partied after killing his parents

Interview with a Killer provides a fascinating insight into the shocking case. Hosted by investigative reporter David Scott, the show engages and confronts killers who are behind bars. In one episode, Tyler Hadley describes his parents’ murders in chilling detail for the first time and how the idea took root in his mind.

Interview With A Killer starts Monday, 5th May on Crime+Investigation.

In July 2011, Tyler Hadley who brutally murdered his parents with a hammer. Our team at Crime+Investigation has been taking a closer look at the disturbing details of this grisly case.

A happy and ordinary childhood

The Hadley family had a pretty idyllic life — at least, at first. Blake Hadley was a nuclear power plant operator, and Mary Jo Hadley taught at the local school. Both are remembered as generous pillars of their community who spent plenty of time with their sons, Tyler and Ryan.

Tyler, in particular, stood out with his golden hair and wide, toothy smile. His aunts would later recall: 'He was cute...just an adorable little boy, lots of fun...he was constantly hugging his mom.' Like most kids, he whittled away the afternoons hanging out with friends, playing video games and shooting hoops at the park.

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Despite being happy during his early years, Tyler soon grew bored of middle-class suburbia. As he entered adolescence, he swapped sports for skipping school and experimenting with drugs. His parents noticed mood changes but weren’t immediately alarmed, reasoning that all teenagers went through a similar experience.

Growing family tensions

However, Tyler's behaviour soon grew more concerning. His alcohol and drug use escalated, prompting several brush-ins with the law for arson, vandalism, thefts and battery. He was also involved in a $15,000 civil suit after injuring a child while driving his father's car in June 2010. Much to his parent's horror, their once bubbly child was becoming increasingly violent — and he didn't seem to care who he hurt.

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In a final attempt to save their son before he turned 18, Blake and Mary-Jo enrolled him in a drug rehabilitation programme. Of course, Tyler didn't want to go. In an interview with reporters, his uncle said: 'That kid wanted his freedom, and he wanted to party...his parents were in the way, and he felt there was no way out.'

The crime

Bizarrely, Tyler wasn't secretive about wanting to kill his parents. He had told a close friend exactly what he was planning to do a few weeks prior, claiming that throwing a party after a parricide had 'never been done before'. On the day of the murders, he posted an ominous message on Facebook: 'Party at my crib tonight...maybe.'

Later in court, there was no doubt of intentionality. Tyler had hidden his parents’ phones and locked the family dog in the cupboard — he didn't want anyone, human or otherwise, coming to their rescue. Then, he took three ecstasy pills and picked up a claw hammer.

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He killed his mother first, attacking her from behind while she worked on the computer. Hearing her screams, his father rushed up to find the unimaginable. 'Why?' he asked Tyler in shock. 'Why the f*** not?' Tyler responded before turning the weapon on him.

Afterwards, he moved their bodies into the master bedroom and cleaned up the blood — just in time for the party to start. Around 60 people attended that night, unknowingly drinking and dancing beneath a murder scene.

A killer with no remorse

It was fairly easy for police to catch Tyler. Firstly, he told several people that he killed his parents and even showed his best friend, Michael Mandell, their bodies. Michael would eventually alert the police, but not until the party had finished. Tyler was also caught on CCTV using his parents' stolen credit cards to buy alcohol and other supplies.

Tyler was arrested early the next morning but showed absolutely no remorse for his crimes. In fact, he seemed almost belligerent. Later in court, prosecutors argued that his selfish and childish desire to throw a house party meant more than his parents' lives. He wasn’t acting in self-defence — he killed his mum and dad so he could drink and take drugs uninterrupted.

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Despite the mountains of evidence against him, Tyler pleaded no contest to two counts of first-degree murder. He was initially sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. In 2018, he was resentenced as an adult to life in prison.

Sadly, Tyler continues to brag about his horrific crimes in prison, regularly signing autographs for fellow inmates with his self-proclaimed nickname: Hammer Boy.

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