Murder of Ella Bennett

On February 4, 2007, 13-year-old Paris Lee Bennett murdered his 4-year-old sister, Ella Bennett, in their home in Abilene, Texas. Paris killed Ella with a knife. The source account describes the motive as Paris's resentment toward their mother, Charity Bennett; he reportedly believed that killing one of her children would be the most effective way to emotionally harm her.

The family had a troubled background. Charity Bennett's mother, Kyla Claar Bennett, had been charged with conspiring to murder her husband and Charity's father, James Robert Bennett Jr., but was found not guilty at trial — a verdict Charity came to believe was wrong. Kyla later joked in a documentary about having "manipulated" the jury. During her own childhood, the source account says Charity developed a drug addiction in an attempt to gain her mother's attention, though it reports that Kyla never showed interest.

Shortly before the murder, Charity had relapsed into drug addiction; the source account presents this as a possible triggering factor for Paris. He had reportedly shown warning signs of violence beforehand and later said he had experienced homicidal tendencies since early childhood. On the night of the murder — Super Bowl Sunday — Charity was working late at a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and had hired a babysitter. Around 10:00 PM, Paris convinced the babysitter to leave the house. Sometime before 11:30 PM, he entered Ella's room and fatally attacked her with a knife. He then called a school friend for about six minutes before calling 911 at 11:42 PM, telling the dispatcher he believed Ella was a demon. When instructed to perform CPR, he instead paced the room, counting along with the dispatcher without actually performing it. He was arrested before 12:30 AM.

Because Texas law sets 14 as the minimum age for trying a juvenile as an adult, Paris was charged and prosecuted in juvenile court. He pleaded guilty to capital murder and received the maximum available juvenile sentence: 40 years in prison, with parole eligibility after 20 years. Evaluations found Paris met criteria for conduct disorder, and later assessments using standardized measures documented significant psychopathic traits. At age 19 he was transferred to adult prison. He will first be eligible for parole in February 2027, and if never paroled, is set for release in February 2047.

In the aftermath, Charity initially maintained contact with Paris, which he said surprised him, but she has been warned that she and her new son could be at risk once he is released and has said she will likely need to relocate. In 2021, she stated she ended contact with Paris after learning of his relationship with a woman facing charges related to planning a mass shooting. The case drew wide public attention, including the 2017 documentary "The Family I Had," a 2019 interview Paris gave to broadcaster Piers Morgan, and a 2026 Investigation Discovery episode.