Crime

Mich. Dad Who Made 'Kill List' Amid Bitter Divorce Kills Son, 3, Before Turning Gun on Himself

Derek Thebo's estranged wife claims he threatened to kill her and her entire family in March

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Published on September 8, 2021 12:52 PM

Authorities in Michigan continue to investigate a murder-suicide last week in Lowell Township that left a 3-year-old boy and his 32-year-old father dead.

In a statement, the Kent County Sheriff's Department alleges Derek Thebo fatally shot his young son, Dylan, before turning the gun on himself.

Officers responded to Thebo's home on Sept. 1 at around 7:30 p.m. to check on Dylan's well-being.

WXMI, citing court filings, reports that Thebo and Dylan's mother were estranged and going through a divorce.

They were also fighting over the custody of their son.

According to the station, Thebo had made threats against her and their son as recently as March.

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"He threatened to kill me, my children, and my family, and to commit suicide afterward," Dylan's mother wrote in one document cited by WXMI.

"He rattled off the names of my family members and said he knew where they worked, he knew when they were home, and that we could get to them and hurt them," she added.

She further claimed in the filings that Thebo sent her a gift for Mother's Day, violating a protective order. The gift came with the chilling message, "You will be my last."

A GoFundMe campaign started for Dylan's relatives states that the boy loved singing, dancing, spending time with his big sister, and watching Paw Patrol.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Kent County Sheriff's Office Investigative Division at 616-632-6125.