A teenage boy in Wisconsin has been charged with homicide after he allegedly stabbed his mother to death in a killing that he says was inspired by the Netflix documentary The Menendez Brothers.
According to court documents obtained by local outlets WISN, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Fox 6, 15-year-old Reed R. Gelinskey was charged with first-degree intentional homicide for the death of his mother — identified by her initials SG — by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office on Thursday, March 6.
A criminal complaint obtained by WISN states that Gelinskey was arrested on Tuesday, March 4. Police were called to the teen’s home in Caledonia, located outside of Racine, at around 10:30 p.m. local time after a witness reported that she had received a Snapchat message from Gelinskey that contained a photo of a woman lying on her back surrounded by blood.
Officers who arrived at the home alleged that Gelinskey came outside to meet them and dropped a kitchen knife at the front stoop as he was walking out.
“He then made statements for officers to kill him and stated ‘she is dead’ and ‘she is dead from what I did,’ ” the complaint states, per WISN. Officers said they then took Gelinskey into custody and observed that his clothing was stained with blood.
The Caledonia, Wis., home where Reed Gelinskey allegedly killed his mother.
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“Gelinskey later made an excited utterance stating he struck his mother over the head with a dumbbell in an attempt to knock her out so he could stab her with the knife,” the complaint adds.
Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, citing the complaint, Gelinskey allegedly came home from school the day of his mother’s death depressed and was feeling an urge to kill his parents. The teenager told investigators that he had been taking his brother’s anxiety medication for the last month, and had taken “approximately” nine pills on Tuesday night.
Gelinskey allegedly said that he looked for a hammer “because he was going to kill his father when he came home from work but could not find one large enough.”
After dinner, his mother was sitting on the couch and Gelinskey put on a movie, which he said was Netflix’s October 2024 documentary, which followed the case of Lyle and Eric Menendez, who were sentenced to life in prison for killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989.
“Gelinskey stated he then developed the plan to kill his parents. He stated it came to him while he watched the ‘shotgun scene,’ ” the complaint states, per WISN.
Authorities allege that the 15-year-old hit his mother in the head twice with a dumbbell bar as she was facing away from him, then stabbed her five times with a steak knife.
According to the complaint, Gelinskey allegedly told investigators his mother asked him “Why?” and he replied, “Pain.”
“This was an extremely violent, but planned offense. It’s dangerous in its nature,” Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson said of the case, per WISN. “His original plan was not just for the one victim, but for two.”
The 15-year-old’s father has requested to have contact with Gelinskey, and a judge approved the request.
Per WISN, prosecutors charged Gelinskey as an adult and he is currently being held in a juvenile detention center. His bond was set at $1 million, court records show.
