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The Downfall of Derek and Alex King · Minor Mischief Podcast

• Kiki George: What happens when a devastating house fire uncovers a story far beyond anyone's imagination? This is the Minor Mischief Podcast and this is the downfall of Derek and Alex King. Your girl got a podcast. Those Thursdays, they come fast. No problem though, story on deck. Keep it consistent, Mike, get a check. And my goat yard, you go girl. Go girl. Welcome back. Welcome back. Welcome back. Welcome back. my gosh. I had to do that little This that's my little my podcast rap, right? I had to do my little podcast rap. I'm like, that song is actually currently my new hyperfixation song, even though I have to change it because I was playing it and I was in the car with my son, and he is just like, Mom, can you please turn this song off? Like the song makes me uncomfortable. And I'm just like, okay, let's talk about it. Like You know, cause I I talk to my kids about hidden messages and things like that. So I'm just like, okay, well, why does this song make you feel uncomfortable? And he was just like, it makes me uncomfortable because I feel like this song is for like that mom who feels like she lost herself and now she's singing it to kind of hype herself up for the summer. And I'm just like, okay, and the problem is, don't come for me unless I send for you, young man. But that's neither here nor there. Welcome back to another episode of the Minor Mischief Podcast. I am your host and homegirl for the time being, Mrs. Kiana Amir. And thank you for choosing to spend this time with me. Cause you could be anywhere else. Like there are so many other podcasts you can listen to. There's so many other things you could be doing right now. But the fact that you're locked in truly is a blessing. And I certainly thank you. And now I'm actually starting to get more listens. So I'm seeing like my analytics and stuff, and it kind of helps me tailor which direction. you know, to go with this podcast. So thank you all for listening. Thank you all for hanging out with me. And thank you all for being patient and gracious with me while I was going through the month of March. But we are back to our regularly scheduled program. So how is everyone doing? Like I cannot believe it's April. Like I know my girl January was long. Like we felt every syllable in January. But February and March literally had places to go. Like they came through with roller skates on. They came through and they were like, listen, we're here for a good time, but definitely not a long time, my dear. And 'cause it's April. Like, I'm like, is it springtime? We're in quarter two already. I still remember what I was doing on New Year's Eve, just saying. And since we're officially in the spring, which I completely missed because my March was a whirlwind. three out of four of my kids' birthdays occur within the next month. And I have to give them, you know, individual birthdays. So like one of my son's birthday is April 20th, the other one's April 29th, my daughter's is May 4th. So three birthdays in two weeks. And I really do try to make each of their days special for them. And I just feel like I feel like what I think a crab feels like before you dunk it in boiling water. That's what I feel like. I feel like I can see it. I can see the water boiling and I know I'm getting ready to go in there. Like let's just make this paintless. That's what I feel like. Keep me your thoughts and prayers, because I really have no idea what I'm doing for these kids for their birthday and I'm like, April 20th is gonna be here like that. So I don't know. Life has been lifing. My car has been coughing and shaking, and I'm just like, La Vita, girl, please. Not right now. Not right now. Okay, let me just give me some space and give me a lot of grace. And on top of that, is just this freaking pollen needs to be investigated as a weapon of mass destruction. This has to be a war tactic. Cause what is happening right now with this pollen? Like this is crazy. It is. It's like you step out of the door in the great state of North Carolina and you get punched in the face or choked out. You just don't know what you're gonna get from one day to the next. Like this pollen is my eyes are swollen. They feel like sandpaper. It's okay. We're here. It's story time. So let's get into it, shall we? We shall listen. Today's story, and I know I say this every week, but today's story is a tangled web. There are several moving parts. Some of it's not gonna make sense. And honestly, I ended this story with questions because it's still very unclear. What happened. And I just really want to know your thoughts on this. Cause I just it's still very unclear what even happened on the night in question. But let's get into it. I will go ahead and leave just a little bit of disclaimer. I don't get into graphic detail or really much detail. I kind of glaze over it in a way. But there are certain parts of today's story that will discuss the molestation and rape of young boys. Again. I don't go into a ton of detail because the details just were not available. but I did want to give you a heads up because you know, sometimes I feel like everybody has their thing, right? Like in the true crime space, me personally, I am a curator of true crime and also a consumer of true crime stories. And some of the stories are hard to listen to. So, you know, I just wanted to put that trigger warning there because sometimes you just know your limit. Like, There are certain cases that are hard for me to take. And so just wanted to throw that out there. But, you know, we'll go from there. So let me introduce you to Alex King and Derek King, who are our mischief makers this week. We do have another mischief maker whose name is Ricky Chavez. We're gonna get into Mr. Ricky later. And then Terry King, who unfortunately is our victim. So last week we're in Utah. This week we are going to sunny Florida and we are packing our bags and heading over to the town of Cantonment, Florida. Cantonment is located in Escambia County, which is just north of Pensacola, which fun fact, I called Pepsi Cola well into my teenage years. I don't know why. Pensacola Pepsi Cola just did not it wasn't until I moved to Florida when I was 17 that I finally stopped calling it Pepsi Cola. Cantonman is known for its affordable living, its close proximity to beaches, cause Florida, duh, and abundant outdoor recreation, because Florida, duh. In Cantonman, you can head over to Escambia or Perdito River for fishing, hiking, and paddling. Cantonman also hosts attractions like the International Paper Mill and a slew of local boutiques. However, I do think the international paper mill closed recently due to the decline in demand for print products. It's a very interesting fact because I used to live in Western North Carolina, in Asheville, actually. And there's a town called Canton in the Asheville area. And they had a huge paper mill. And everybody that pretty much was raised. Like people in that town legit grew up to go work in that paper mill. Like they had classes about it in high school, all the things. It was very common. And actually, one of my favorite people that I used to work with when I lived in Asheville, we're the same age. He had been working at that paper mill since he graduated high school. And I'm sitting here, I'm just like, Do you know how many jobs I've had since I've graduated high school? I'm just saying. I'm just saying. So I just I always loved that for him because it was like, you know, he knew from a young age what he wanted to do. He graduated, got his job at the pick paper mill, worked his way up, and was making, I mean, boo koo bucks by the time him and I started working together. And that all came from the job he got straight out of high school. So paper mills closing is apparently a real problem in the digital age. And I'm just gonna leave that with that. Anyway, Canton at Florida hosts about 26,000 residents and is reportedly ideal for families, professional, and retirees. Terry Lee King was born on April 17th, 1961, in Texas to his parents, the Reverend Wilbur Eugene King, and that is a Southern Baptist name, if I ever heard one. Also, I swear every time I hear the name Wilbur, I think of Charlotte Webb. And so Terry was born to Wilbur, Reverend Wilbur Eugene King. And his mom, Selma Joyce Robinson, Tracy. Terry had been married once before when he met Miss Janet French, aka Miss Kale Kelly Marino, and together they had two boys, Alex and Derek. Let me tell you guys, when I tell you guys this case is a tangled web, it's a tangled web. Because as I was researching this case and I was looking up information on the boy's mom, some sources. listed her as Janet French and some sources listed her as Kelly Merino. And so as I was typing out my script, I kept going back and forth and back and forth, changing the name just based on, you know, I was going to use whichever name I found more commonly. And it wasn't until I found an arrest record for her where I was able to put two and two together that Janet French and Kelly Marino are the same person. That was driving me crazy for almost a week. I don't even understand how. I mean, I guess news reports are not legal documents, obviously, but I'm just like, bruh, like, at least put a aka alias something. It drove me crazy. You guys don't even understand. Anyway, Derek King was born in 1988 and Alex David King was born in 1989. And there's not really a ton of information on their childhood. Like literally, again, I even was trying to figure out what their mother's name was. It's just information is so scattered. I watched some interviews. and they were asking, like they flat out asked the boys, like, tell me about your childhood. And they will both say the same thing. They would both say, I really don't remember much from back then. Or they would say, My memory's fuzzy during that time, which is likely a trauma response because they had been through so much, but it made piecing their story together incredibly difficult. But I know Derek was born in 1988 and Alex was born in 1989, making them both around my age. So their family dynamic was a bit untraditional because Miss Kelly slash Miss Janet went to work to care for the family while Terry, who is a printer by trade, because he worked at a local print shop, But it doesn't appear that he was a full time employee. Terry worked odd jobs, but he focused primarily on caring for the boys. And Janet really was the breadwinner for the family. And what did Miss Janet do for work, you might ask? Miss Janet was a midnight ballerina. The midnight ballerina of West Coast, Florida. Don't play with her, okay? I'm just making that last part up. I don't know if she was like the midnight ballerina, but She was a stripper girl. She was an exotic dancer and she loved her job, okay? And that is what she did to care for her family. And you know what? It ain't tricking if you got it. So listen to this. Terry and Janet split when Alex and Derek were about six and seven years old. Some articles that I read stated that Janet also had a pair of twin boys that were born during her marriage to Terry, but were not biologically Terry's. I did read that in some articles. I just once again The information was so sparse. I'm just gonna say allegedly. Multiple sources do say she had a pair of twin boys while she was married to Terry that don't belong to Terry. But I can't give you the boys' names or anything like that. So we're we're just gonna say allegedly. regardless, once they broke up, Janet took her talents down to South Beach figuratively because she actually moved to Lexington, Kentucky. And she moved out of the family home to pursue her calling as a stripper and a night worker. And she was just like, Yeah, it's been fun. Terry, I feel like I have a greater calling, like I could do better. I don't need you and these boys weighing me down. I need to go live my life. I need to make a life for myself. I need to make a name for myself. And so she packed her things and she drove off into the night and left Terry and those boys right there to fend for themselves. I do not agree with Janet at all. I will say this because she knew that Terry did not have the means to care for those boys. That's just the truth. Like, he did not have it in him, you know, to be a full time father and a full time employee and care for them while working. So something that I did not mention yet. Which was my next sentence. But Terry had really bad narcolepsy. And so due to his medical condition, he was out of work frequently. I don't know if this was before FMLA or if he did not qualify because he kept getting fired. But Terry, like, he couldn't work. He couldn't stay awake. And there's not really much you can do if you're falling asleep all the time. So, you know, that kills manufacturing. He can't work at the hospital. He can't work. in construction. He can't work at in fast food. He can't work a desk job because, you know, he had a really pretty severe case of narcolepsy. And so he was described as a quirky guy with a big heart and a lot of love, but not a lot of money. And because of his health condition, he mostly worked dead end jobs, minimum wage jobs, jobs that did not always provide him with enough to care for the boys on his own. Because Raising kids is expensive. I actually saw this TikTok video the other day and it said, while my mom wait until I moved out or until I grew up to get rich. And I'm just like, honey, you were the bill. Like raising kids is expensive. Like, even once they're out of daycare, it's always something. It's always something. They still have to go to the doctor. They have to be in something, right? Because an I don't mind is just we're not doing that. I'm struggling with that with one of my kids right now. And so it's like you have to be in something, but something comes with fees. My son's in wrestling. It costed me every flipping week. and now next year he's thinking because in middle school he was in football, wrestling and track. Imagine. And so now he's only doing wrestling, but now he's talking about. Going back into football and track because he's like, Well, my school's track team sucks, and I feel like I could do a good job. And I'm like, in my mind, he's telling me this, and I'm just hearing ding ding ding. My daughter, she is a creative, she is a music lover, but even that costs music lessons, instruments. It's just so ghetto. And then it's like every other week, there's something going on at school. And I'm like, don't you dare send home anything asking me to dress them in pajamas, because then I have to buy new pajamas. Kids are the bill. Seriously. So I could not imagine being a man who has this health condition, does not appear that he qualified for any type of disability, because that is a process in and of itself, could not hold down a job. So he's basically working for whatever he can. And he still has to pay the mortgage and he still has to maintain the car. Cause don't get me started on car maintenance. He still has to You know, make sure the boys go to the doctor, make sure they have food, make sure they have clothes, and kids are always growing. So my heart really goes out to Terry because, bruh, kids are the bill. I'm not trying to rush life or anything, but I'm telling you guys that I'm already preparing for empty nesting and how much disposable income we will have once these kids move out. We have a long way to go though, but that's the We have a long way to go. Like, we still have two in daycare, so a wishful dream, but it's like we have two in daycare and then we have two well, one that's literally getting ready to graduate next year. Cause he's scheduled to graduate early. So yeah. Fun. Anyway, so yeah, Terry worked a lot of odd jobs. He did they did say his main job though was at the print shop. And he just did not have enough money to care for the boys on his own. Derek was said to be a rambunctious kid, and with Terry's work schedule and his medical issues, Terry just was not able to keep up with Derek. So Derek subsequently was sent to live with the foster family while Alex stayed behind with Terry. Terry was said to care also for the twin boys that I mentioned earlier, but they did end up allegedly, if they do exist, In a faith-based foster care program, and they never moved back in with him. Derek stayed with his foster family for about six years, and you know, Derek started getting into a little bit of trouble with them. And it's really explained like, because I did watch an interview with Derek, and he was asked, like, you had it made. Like, you're coming from this house where it's like incredibly dirty, you guys have bugs, you don't have a TV. You don't have anything to do for fun. It's just you guys in this house with the bare minimum. There's like a recliner in the living room. You have some mattresses, nothing crazy. And then you get yanked out. You get put into this foster family's house. And they have everything that you've ever wanted. They have color TV. They have, you know, and I'm saying color TV as if this wasn't in the 2000s, you know? But that's how little they had. And so Derek was asked, like, you basically had a way out. Why did you act up? And he could not say. He felt like he was just like, I felt like I didn't deserve it. He was like, I know I messed up. Like I know I put them through hell. I know I was acting out in school. And I just feel like it just goes to show I don't know if they went through as great of a family as they were to him. I just don't know if they went through the proper channels of making sure that he was healed. Because it's like here you are, you're, you know, about seven, eight years old. Probably seven at this point. And your mom just left. Your dad can't take care of you. You're sent to live with strangers. And it's like, who's caring for his mental? You know, because that's a lot to deal with at such a young age. And so he spent about six years with his fa his foster family. And then he moved back in with Terry in 2001, about seven weeks before this story takes place. Terry would often receive help. Caring for the boys from his mother, but you know, his mom was a little older, and it just wasn't enough to provide a stable and consistent life and upbringing for them. Now, in the neighborhood that they lived in, there was also this guy. This guy was 40 years old, and his name was Ricky Chavez. Now, Ricky was pretty much known throughout the neighborhood. He was a handyman and he was the guy that all the kids hung around. Like he was a single man, no children. He lived by himself, but his house had everything that young boys wanted to do. Like his house had video games, computers, posters, magazines, snacks, everything that preteen and teenage boys want to do or play with were located in his house. And he was pretty much a fixture in the community. And he would help Terry care for the boys by having them come over while Terry worked and making sure that, you know, they were at least clean fed and that they had, you know, clean clothes and a little food in their stomach by the time Terry got out of work or if he was otherwise unavailable. So a lot of the boys in the neighborhood, they would hang out at Ricky's house. Like they would all go to school. After school, they'd be like, hey you guys want to go over to Ricky's? They'll go over to Ricky's, play video games, get on the computer, really chill out over there before their parents got home. And Terry trusted this. He's just like, you know, the other boys in the neighborhood go over there to play. I don't think this should be too big of an issue. So he was fine with his boys staying over at Ricky's or hanging out over there or, you know, just coming back home after they got done. So Ricky would apparently keep them at his house and he would spend the day with them. They would play video games, they would get on the computer, they would, you know, shoot a little basketball, watch TV, some music videos, and apparently they would drink. And smoke a weed. And that's what they did at Ricky's house. Now, what does a 40-year-old man have in common with preteen and teenage boys, you ask? Nothing. But we're gonna unpack that later in this story. So now come with me to November twenty-sixth, two thousand one. It's the Sunday after Thanksgiving, holiday season is in full swing. You guys know what I'm talking about, right? Like after Thanksgiving, time is not a real construct. You might as well hang up your meeting invites and don't ask anything out of me because my mind is on holiday snacks, seasonal beverages, wrapping up my Christmas list, and counting down until I have back to back days off of work. While the rest of the world was gearing up for Christmas and getting themselves together and all of that, the King residence was found engulfed in flames. Firefighters were called to extinguish the blaze, and inside of the house they found Terry's body laid back in a recliner. And it really just looked like Terry was sleeping, or maybe he had some smoke inhalation and was unresponsive. But they're just like, okay, let's move closer. Let's assess the situation of what is going on here. So they're moving closer to, you know, check and see if Terry is alive, if he has a pulse, because you know the house was on fire. And as they get closer to Terry, They're noticing that there's blood spatter, like there's blood splatter around him. And then they notice that Terry's body is severely beaten. And Terry's not hurt because of this fire. Terry was beaten to death. And his sons are nowhere to be found. Once they're realizing this, investigators are now beginning the task of piecing together the events of that night. as well as trying to figure out like where the hell are Alex and Derek. Homicide detective John Sanderson said from the day that he got the call on this case, he knew that something was very weird about this situation. And he was determined to piece it together. Now, Ricky Chavez did come over to the house while police are there, while investigators are there, while the firefighters are trying to, you know, extinguish the fire and piece together what the heck happened. And so as they're looking around and as they're trying to figure everything out and see if there's any sign of the boys, Ricky just walks up and is just like, Have you seen Alex and Derek? Like, we're the two boys that live here. Mind you, he ain't ask a damn thing about Terry. But he goes, Are Alex and Derek here? And so they're just like, No, they're not here. Do you know where they are? And he's like, No, but He does have two boys. They're 12 and 13. Their names are Alex and Derek. Derek is older. Alex is younger. And if I see or hear anything, I will most definitely let you know, but there should be boys here. So homicide detectives head back down to the station because they're just like, okay, we need to figure this out. Like, where are these boys? What do we need to do? What needs to happen here? And as they're getting ready to kind of place that community bulletin, like, hey, we are looking for these two boys. Alex and Derek were turned into the sheriff's office by Ricky Chavez the next day. When they arrived to the police station, detectives pr pretty quickly began questioning the boys on exactly what the hell is going on. And at that time, they confessed. They gave investigators a very detailed story about how they planned and performed the killing of their father because they wanted to run away and live with Ricky. They stated that Ricky was more financially stable. He had a better house, a better things, a nicer car. He had a TV. I was just amazed because I'm like, okay, it's 2001. Granted, TVs were not as they are now, where it's like, I feel like everyone has a TV in every room, in every place. But, you know, everybody had a TV, at least a living room TV back then. And they had nothing. So I just found it very interesting that as I was like reading the articles and and watching The interviews of them, they just kept saying, like, he had a TV. He had a TV. We just wanted to watch TV. And I'm just like, you know what? You gonna kill your dad over a TV? But I digress. So they stated that it would just be a better idea to live with Ricky. Derek wrote a statement that read, quote, Alex suggested I kill my dad. I murdered my dad with an aluminum baseball bat. I set the house on fire from my dad's bedroom. The boys admitted to going to Ricky's house after they set their house on fire and that he washed their blood soaked clothes and and he gave them clean clothes to wear and coached them on how to handle the situation. Alex and Derek fully denied any physical abuse from their father. They stated that he would beat them when they got out of line occasionally, but it was nothing excessive. And they just pretty much said it was like a regular spanking, like if I was out of line, if I was mouthy, yeah, he'd pop me in my mouth or pop me on my butt or whatever, but we didn't feel they didn't feel abused. Ricky was questioned as well, and he mentioned that he felt that Terry didn't physically abuse the boys, but he felt like Terry mentally abused the boys just by the way he stared at them. And I watched a documentary, I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head. It was called it was a dateline like documentary that they did on this case. I think it was called The House on Fire or something like that or House Fires. And they did interview Ricky and he was describing he was just like, Yeah, I feel like he would just look at them in a certain way. And that little punk, like that stare that he did, I was like, that does not look menacing at all. Like, if if that was the case, if that was this the stare that scared you, if my mom stared at you, you would you would probably like, you would not be okay. I'm just saying, if you want a real death stare, someone go find Barbara Brazan and she'll show you how it's done. Back to Ricky though. Investigators, as they're questioning Ricky, they're just like, something about this boy is a little weird. Well, I mean, he's not a boy, he's a grown man, but they're like, something about this man's a little weird. Like, his behavior's a little odd, a little inappropriate, and he is closer. Like in relation, like something about his relationship with these boys is just not sitting right with us. Like something something's just rubbing investigators the wrong way about Ricky as they're talking to him and as they're getting his statement and and you're the one that brought these boys in. They're just they're just curious, you know, what what else is going on with Mr. Ricky Chavez? So they checked his background. And a quick check into Ricky's background confirmed investigator suspicions. Ricky had on his background a conviction for the sexual abuse of two 13-year-old boys in 1984. And he seemed especially close to Alex. So once police started investigating Ricky as a possible connection to the case, the boys, much like Miley Cyrus, they completely changed their tunes. They told investigators that Ricky was actually the person that killed their father and then kidnapped them and took them home with him. And that's when Derek changed his statement to say the first story we told police was partially true, but the rest of the story was to protect Ricky. Rick started talking about what we should say to the police. He told us to say that we killed our dad because he abused us, but that's just not true. Our dad never abused us. And so Police are just like, okay. But Alex, tell us about your relationship with Ricky. Because he seems more fond of you than he is of Derek. And we just want to, you know, we just want to make sure we have all of the information. And so Alex admitted. He said, Yeah, I've been having a sexual relationship with Ricky since I was nine years old. And I'm in love with him. Like he's my first love. Like that's who I want to be with. And Alex said, that he was straight his whole life. He's just like my whole life up until the day I met Ricky. I thought I was straight. I thought little girls were cute. I was looking forward to a heterosexual relationship in life. And then I met Rick and we started talking and, you know, I started hanging out at his house. And then I, you know, he realized that he was in fact gay. I disagree with Alex. I think that he was turned out. I think that Ricky took advantage of him and I can go on a tangent about that, but this isn't about me. Terry King was laid to rest at the Eastern Gate Memorial Gardens in Pensacola, Florida, on December, well, in December 2001. And he was laid under a grain stove. And he was laid under a gravestone that read, quote, I love you, Alex and Derek. Someone commented on Terry's obituary, you lived a very sad life with a tragic end. And I was like, damn. Just say you hate him. But then I really sat and thought about it and I was like, I mean, I would that's not something I would post on someone's obituary page. But it was kind of true though. Like he lived a very tragic life. Like he was married to this woman who may or may not. If the twins are out there, please come forward. He was married to this woman who may or may not have cheated on him, had Twin boys on him, left him and all four boys to fend for themselves. And you have this medical con you have this medical condition. You have no help but your elderly mother. You have this medical condition that basically makes it impossible for you to find good employment, but you're doing the best you can. And each and every day you just get up and you try again and you get up and you try again and you get up and you try again. And I don't know, it just it just sucks. Like he really did. He tried everything and he fought with everything in him. No one that knew him said he was a bad father. They just said he struggled in fatherhood, but he wasn't a bad father. And so I just it's like it it made me cringe, but then at the same point in time, I was like, damn, he did kind of eat with that one because he did. He lived a very tragic life, and that just it just really sucks. Ricky's trial was went underway in August of 2022, and Alex and Derek were both set to testify against him. Alex testified to him and Ricky's sexual relationship. And on the night in question, Alex testified that he and Derek were sleeping when Rick snuck into their room and instructed them to go out to his car and wait. He said that just a few moments later, Ricky came out to the car and told them that he had murdered Terry to free them from his abuse. Derek also testified that this version of events was accurate. He admitted to hating being home with their father and confiding in Rick that he would much rather live with him. Derek hated being home due to, well, poverty. They didn't have basic things like once again that T V. They didn't have a ton of clothes. They didn't have a ton of shoes. He said that his friends just lived happy, normal, healthy lives and he was just stuck with his dad and his brother in this filthy, dilapidated house. And he went on to say that Rick promised them that he would make the he would make it better. The boys went to trial about a month later after Ricky did for their second degree murder charges. And, you know, as their case was underway, they heard testimony from Alex, from Derek, from family members, you know, from teachers, and they came back and the jury deliberated for about five hours and they found Alex and Derek both guilty of second degree murder. The jury foreman, well, four women. Said that it was Alex's description of the crime scene and a few other details that he should not have known if he was not present during the time of the crime that caused them to make this decision. A month after their trial, Alex and Derek's convictions were thrown out by the judge, though, because he determined that their right to due process had been violated and their lawyers, I mean, they ran. They probably ran faster. Like, you know how in cartoons they run so fast that their legs just move in a circle? I think that's how fast they ran. They ran to the judge and was just like, hey, let's just let's let's do a guilty plea. Let's do a guilty plea. So they pled guilty to third degree murder, which I had never heard of third degree murder prior to this case. But third degree murder is primarily recognized in Florida, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. And it is defined as the unintentional killing resulting from a dangerous act, a quote, depraved mind, or a drug distribution rather than premeditated intent. I am assuming, and this is just my very limited assumption, I'm assuming that third degree murder is like I was doing something reckless anyway and I killed you. That's how I'm reading it. I don't see how that works in this case because it's like, what was the reckless behavior? You were recklessly swinging a bat at your father's head. I mean, you know, but I'm not the judge. The court footage though of this trial was so unreal because Alex and Derek, like I've watched at this point a few different court cases. Carly Gregg, she definitely looked like a kid in her court trial. Some of though look like what they've been through. But Alex and Derek, they looked like, I don't know, they just looked like sweet little boys. And I'm just like, look at these innocent babies in orange jumpsuits. Even though I will give you all my theory on whether or not I think they did this later. So Alex was sentenced to seven years and Derek was sentenced to eight years, making Alex at the time the youngest inmate in the Florida correctional system, because he was just twelve years old at the time of his sentencing. Both boys were given a year's credit for time served, and they were carted off to separate juvenile detention centers in the state of Florida. Ricky was acquitted of all murder charges, but they said absolutely not on these child molestation, rape, and accessory after-the-fact charges. You're gonna eat those. And he was sentenced to 30 years for the accessory charge and five years for evidence tampering because he washed the boys' clothes. The sentences are set to be served concurrently and were given based on the fact that Ricky had thirteen infractions over the year that he had been jailed, including possession of a firearm. Ricky would have gotten out of jail because they could not prove that he had anything to do with this murder, but they knew for a fact that he was an accessory after the fact. But the fact that he got into so much trouble in jail within a year, because his trial was what in August? He would have been arrested in December, 2001. His trial was in August, I'm pretty sure. Yeah, August 2002. So it hadn't even been a full year. It was like eight months. And your butt just kept getting in trouble, like Ricky, bro. And that possession of a firearm, like, what? I'm sorry. There is just no way on God's green earth that y'all are about to catch me acting up when I'm fighting for my freedom. Because he hadn't even been sentenced yet. His trial hadn't even started yet. I will be on my best behavior. It's not hard. Trust me, I can do this. Ricky was forty one years old when he was sentenced, so he'll pretty much be in jail for the rest of his life. His lawyer, Ricky's lawyer, Michael Rolo, argued that the sentence was disproportionate to the seven and eight year terms that Alex and Derek were given. And to that, I'm just like, Michael, you tried your best. And I do understand and agree, like, because if you guys are saying that Alex and Derek were actually the ones that murdered their father and Ricky was just there after the fact to help them clean up, it is wild that he got a 30 year sentence and they got seven and eight years. But I do feel like they just tried to get Ricky off the streets to keep him away from other young men. That is my theory, and I'm glad that they did. Jurors interviewed after Ricky's case all admitted that they truly believed Ricky was the mastermind behind killing Terry King, and they fully believed that he was actually the one to kill him, but they did not have enough evidence, and Alex and Derek's story kept changing, so they couldn't really figure out what the heck even happened. In 2005, Alex tried to escape prison with his bunkmate by trying to climb through the ceiling. Their plot failed though when they were caught by guards. And Alex was released on April 9th, 2008. And Derek was released in 2009. And their mom, Miss Janet Slash Kelly, was there to greet Eric and not Eric, my lord, to greet Derek and to walk him out after he was released. And he said it was one of the best days of his life. Both boys essentially were adopted in prison, albeit not legally, but Alex was taken under the wing of one of his classmates' family, the Medicos. Catherine Medico's daughter was in class. She was a classmate of Alex's, and they followed his case from the very beginning. she said that her daughter, who wasn't named, she said that her daughter from the moment that Alex and Derek were arrested that Monday came to her and was just like, Mom. I feel for him. Like he's in my class. He's a pretty decent kid. Like I don't understand why this would happen or how this happened. And so Catherine was just like, okay, well, how do you how would you like to support him, honey? And and so they started going to his court cases. They started, you know, putting money on his books, just being there for him, calling him, writing him letters, and they kept up with him the entire time he was in jail. And when Alex found himself in trouble in jail, because get this. Alex tried to escape. He did. He sure did. He tried to escape prison. And I'm just like, baby, you got seven years, okay? Just just. Like, just I know it sucks, but it's either that or go to school. So just just do your seven years. And she said he got in trouble because he was trying to escape. And she called him and she gets on the phone and she's like, Alex, and he's like, Yes. And she's just like I am disappointed in you as your mother. And he said, But you're not my mother. And she said, Yes, I am. I'm all you got. And I'm not gonna put up with this. And she promised him that as long as he did what he was supposed to do, she wasn't going anywhere. And she remained in his life as such. Good days, bad days, good child, bad child, my child. Like she was there for him. Alex did eventually go on to call her mom and her children. became his siblings and the moment he was released he moved to Jacksonville with them. Kathy enrolled him in community college and tried to help him find a job, but they did say that it seemed it was really hard because when, you know, on job applications back in the day, I don't know if they do that anymore because there's I know North Carolina passed a law called Bam the Box. And so like, you know, on job applications where It asks you like, hey, have you ever been convicted of a felony? Yes, no. And speaking as someone who has a background in recruiting, that does hinder you. Because if I know that I can't hire someone with a felony, and you on your application listed that you have a felony, I can't hire you. Now, what I used to do is I would call them anyway and say, What happened? Tell me about your felony. But not everyone does that. And so North Carolina passed a law, it's called Band the Box, where that line had to and that question had to be taken off of applications to give everyone a fair chance. So it's one thing if like you apply, I can't ask you about it. You can share it with me. I can't legally ask you about it. Just like I can't ask you about your age and I can't ask you about your sexual orientation. And so that's North Carolina law now. But I know like back then it was still on every application. So what Kathy and Alex were saying is that every time he would fill out an application and he would check yes, he was very honest because it's either you find out now or you find out when you run my background check. And he she said literally every time he answered that question, the prospect of a job would go away. But he did eventually find his footing. Derek was taken under the wing of a widowed man named Don Daly, who heard about his story on the news and he started writing to him. They remained close over the years, and upon Derek's release, Don gifted Derek with a home. I don't know if he lived with him or not, but he moved out to like this rural area, I believe in Texas, with in this house that Don owned. I don't know if Don lived in the house or not with him. And he started rebuilding his life. He did eventually move back. To Florida, he moved to Jacksonville to be near Alex so that they could work on their relationship because they didn't have one. And I do know at some point Alex moved to Montana with Terry's brother, who would be his paternal uncle named Greg. Both Alex and Derek were interviewed in 2009 and they were asked about the events of that night. And honestly, they don't like talking about it. They both expressed just wanting to move on with their lives and place the events surrounding their father's death. Behind them. In the years following the trial, several minors did come forward with allegations of sexual relationships and sexual abuse from Ricky Chavez. I did not see anything where new charges were brought upon him, but I think they should be. Which brings me to where are they now? As stated earlier, Alex eventually did find his footing in the lucrative field of construction. He went on to find love and got married, even though he did find himself back in jail in 2011 for a parole violation after leaving the scene of an accident. Sadly and very unfortunately, our good friend Alex passed away on April 23rd, 2024 from an an alleged drug overdose. His family did release a statement saying that Alex just he had demons. He had been fighting them for years. He had been fighting with his mental health for years and He finally succumbed to it. They just called his drug addiction the one demon that he could not defeat. And so R.I.P. Alex. Derek moved up the East Coast to the DMV area, but he did eventually return to Pensacola. He got married and had at least one kid, but got divorced. While in the DMV, Derek did find himself in and out of jail on various charges. And in June of 2025, Derek was arrested once again for felony sexual assault. I don't know. what happened in that case. I don't know if he's still awaiting trial. I did not find any trial information on it. And I'm not sure where that's going with that. So my research on this case was getting long winded because I had to pick through so many articles for even the little bit of information that I gave you guys today. So Miss Janet French slash Kelly Marino found herself in some hot legal trouble for filing for Social Security for Alex and Derek, even though they were in jail and she had not cared for them since they were about six years old. She received over $13,000 in Social Security benefit payments for them. And I swear the smartest people, if they are not patient with their process, always become criminals. Because what made her think? She really filed for these boys like they were at home living in Kentucky with her and they were in jail. So she went to jail for that and she was ordered to pay that money back. Ricky is continuing to serve his 30-year-old her 35-year sentence, please excuse me, at the Correctional Institute Annex in Milton, Florida. He's scheduled to be released in November 2031. And I feel like that is right around the corner, and we need to sign a petition to keep his ass in jail. He'll be around 71 when he gets out, but I mean, 71, you could still cause damage at that age. I'm just saying. Leave him in there. Just give him let him die in there. That's how I feel about that. Alex's pseudo mom, Kathy Medical, did write a book about his case called Perversion of Justice: A Southern Tragedy of Murder, Lies, and Innocence Betrayed. In case any of you avid readers wanted to read more about the case, I did not read the book only because It would not have gotten to me in time. But I may still go back and read it because there may be new information in there. But that is where that story ends, which brings me to our final thoughts. Okay. Now that I've gone through the story. What do you guys think happened? This case was so convoluted. Like even watching the documentary on this case, I still left with so many questions. No one but Alex, Derek, and Ricky know what happened for real that night. Here is my theory, though. My theory is I think they planned this together. I think Ricky went to the boys because he was in a sexual relationship with Alex and he said, Hey, I know you guys don't like and I believe that it probably happened after they were supposed to go home. They had been hanging out with Ricky all day. He got his fix. What a ugh I hate even saying that. That's just ugh. There's a special place in hell for people who do things to children. And Ricky, you right there with it. but I believe they were probably at Ricky's house. They knew what time Terry was gonna be home. So they were just like, okay, we have to be home by this time. And I feel like Terry, I feel like Ricky, Alex, and Derek did this together. I feel like it was Ricky's idea. And I do feel like he was there. I feel like he was present in the home. So here's here's what I think happened. I think that they planned this. He was just like, okay, we're gonna do it on this day at this time. You know, your dad usually has a beer and he falls asleep in the recliner at this time. Leave your bedroom window unlocked. I'm gonna climb through the window. We're gonna go in through there. You know, you don't I'm gonna whack him. You guys stay in the room and then Derek, set this thing on fire and let's go out and walk back to my house. I think that's what happened. I feel like Ricky was there. I think he knew exactly what was going on. I don't think he was a savior after the fact. but I do think that Alex and Derek also were there. I don't think they were in the car while Ricky killed their father. I believe they were in the house and I believe they did see their father's dead body after the deed was done. But I do think Ricky was actually the one to kill him. If he wasn't, I think he coerced Derek into killing him. That's my theory. And I just feel like, like I said, there's a special place in hell for people who take advantage of children, who abuse children, who molest children, who sexually assault children, who rape children. And I truly do feel like when it comes to that, it should be an eye for an eye, but hell, they might enjoy a child. I don't know. But yeah, I don't think he should be out. Because yes, he's been in prison for almost 30 years, but is there really like And maybe this is a question you guys can answer. Is there really reform for pedophiles? Like, do you believe that a pedophile can truly be reformed? Because me personally, I don't think they can. I don't think once you have started that, I don't think you can stop. Because that is your preference. That's what you like. So if not, then you're not gonna be fulfilled otherwise. So for instance, like there's a gospel artist. His name is Donnie McClurkin. And Donnie McClurkin is a gay man. Like you could he's a gay man. Like it just is what it is. But because of his faith and because he is a gospel artist, he does his best to not be gay. But he's still gay. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, do I feel like your preferences can change? Yeah, I do. But I just feel like being a pedophile is such like I don't know, it like n I don't think anyone else, I don't feel like b you're you're attracted to children. So it's just like for me, I don't how do you become attracted to adults once you've been attracted to child you know what I'm saying? I just I would not trust them around my puppy I am s I'm not even sorry to say that. Like I just me personally and you guys let me know. Like, do you think that there is reform? For sex offenders. I personally do not. I just because that's your preference. That's like with gay men. Like, I feel like once you pop, like, can you really just be like, I don't like PP no more? You know, I I just I'm sorry, like, and I know I've I've encountered. I have encountered people who, you know. have been like, yeah, like I've I've encountered people who have been gay and they're just like, it's not really my preference anymore. I've encountered people like that. So but I'm just like, I don't know. I I just I couldn't trust you. And I damn sure wouldn't trust you around my kids. And if I can't trust you around my kids, there's no reason for me to trust you with me. You know what I'm saying? Like, if I can't trust you with a bag of fifty thousand dollars, I'm not going to trust you around me. So I just, yeah, I don't I think he should stay. And I just feel like he just might as well he's gonna be in his seventies, just like let him finish out his life in prison because not to say that seventies is my mom's in her seventies and she is a young tender, okay? But him, leave him there. Leave him there. I really hope and pray he don't get out. Just leave him there because I I just feel like he had already been doing it for so long, 'cause this story takes place in two thousand one. His conviction was in nineteen eighty four. So already you have s you know, like seventeen years. Is that seventeen? Is my math? Yeah, 17 years. So it's like, I don't feel like I don't know. I just I I I don't feel like there's reform for that. But ple like, what do you think? Let me know what you think. outside of that, this story, I so typically I find my stories either just kind of scrolling the internet or Sometimes I find them on like TikTok or like I'll go down a rabbit hole. My husband sends me a lot of stories. shout out to that man. He's very supportive of my craft. and so yeah, I just I can't remember where I found out this story from, but what I do know is that I did not realize that researching this story was gonna be such a pain because I just feel like there's so many unanswered questions. And mainly because nobody knows what happened but Alex and Derek. And Ricky and Alex has tragically passed. And I don't think I don't think at this point Derek's gonna come out and say, like, even though I just wish he would. I wish he would. And I mean, he doesn't have to because it doesn't bring closure to anybody. I'm sure the people who need to know know. But they don't talk about it. Like he does not talk about it. He's not out here doing interviews, talking about that night. So it's just all we know is that the house was on fire. Terry was dead. Alex and Derek were missing. They were with Ricky. Ricky turned them in the following day. They both confessed. And then their stories kept changing. And so what do we know about stories that are changing? It's not the truth. So I think Ricky was very much involved. And I feel like he put them up to this. And that's just my theory. I could be wrong. But that's my theory. Next week will not be a bye week, but please pray for your friend. I am scheduled for a tooth extraction and I've never had one before. And so I have to have my back tooth pulled and I have to have a bone graft done because we're gonna go back in and put an implant there. And I am nervous and shaking in my boots. I just don't know how it will affect me recording wise. So an episode will be out next week, but it may be a day late. Just a super quick heads up. But I will be sure to get it recorded, edited, and uploaded for your listening pleasure. Follow me on social media on TikTok, Minor Mischief Pod on Instagram, Minor Mischief Podcast. Thank you all for all the support online though. I'm really appreciating it. And I know, because you know, I have like 29 followers, so I know that that that's a small thing, right? But also I'm just like, that's more than five. It's more than six. It's more than 10. Okay. Like the number has increased. And that's all I care about. Please tell a friend to tell a friend. Share this. Talk about it with your coworkers. Just be listen, I listen to this podcast about children, especially if you're in like an educational space or if you're a child therapist. I really yearn for your opinions about these cases because I'm not I used to be a medical assistant, but I'm not like medically trained. I don't know how the mind works. I've never done psychology things, but I'm just so fascinated by what makes children do the things that they do. And so I like to unpack those things. In this situation it's is just really sad because I'm like, Y'all did all this to watch TV? Like And I mean maybe 'cause I've never been without T V, I don't know how dire it is. I don't know, but I just know it wasn't worth it. But I honestly also do feel like it's deeper than we did it because we wanted to watch TV. So at any rate, that is today's show. Thank you all for tuning in. I will see you all. Well, I will speak to you all next week. I'm gonna try my hardest for Thursday. I really am. But I'm letting you know that that tooth might affect my speech. Also, sorry for last week. I went back and listened to last week's audio. It was so ghetto. First of all, my mic kept dying. So you could hear everything in the background. I heard my kids running up and down the stairs. I heard my husband yelling at them for running up and down the stairs. I heard my baby girl crying. I was like, this is such ghetto audio, if I've never heard it in my life. And so if last week was your first time being introduced to me, I'm sorry. I'm usually a lot more professional than that, but I did not realize that my mic kept. Dying, so you could hear everything. And I at that point, I was like, I'm not, I'm already a day late. I'm not going back to re-record this entire thing. Going forward, I would. I just did not have the bandwidth last week. But this week's audio is better, prayerfully. And yeah, we just go from there. So thank you all for tuning in. I will see you all next Thursday. My speech might be a little messed up, but that's okay. We are going to get it done. Follow me on socials, write a review. If you have any case suggestions, want to chat, want to just send me an email, minormistrip podcast at gmail dot com. And yeah, support the show till we start making some money off this thing, okay? All right. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I'll see y'all next Thursday. And until then, stay mischievous, friends.