The Murder of Terry King

Warning, this case talks about sexual assault and crimes against children.

For this case I watched an episode of Evil Kin. It’s season 1 episode 5, titled ‘Deadly Darlings.’

A dad of two young sons is killed in his home.

Background

Terry King lived in Cantonment, Florida, a suburb of Pensacola. Terry lived on and off with his sons, Derek, 13, and Alex, 12.

Terry struggled to hold down jobs, and would work odd jobs making minimum wage or less. He was also described as a very strict dad, but tried his best to be a good parent to the troubled boys.

Two Troubled Boys

Terry struggled to support the boys, put food on the table and put a roof over their heads. The boys’ mom was not in their lives, and Terry wanted a better life for them. Terry found a faith based orphanage to take the boys to. The orphanage would eventually have to find two separate foster families that took the boys in, after they closed a year later. This meant it had to split the boys up. Derek and Alex always had a strong bond, and they didn’t react well to the split.

Alex took it the hardest, and eventually Alex was able to move back in with Terry. Terry limited Alex’s contact with the outside world, due to his growing paranoia. It was stated that Terry would lock Alex in his bedroom, and was overprotective.

Derek was also developing problems in his foster home. He was caught stealing beer, and was caught playing with lighter fluid. In this episode, they said Derek did this for either peer approval or attention. Derek eventually went back to live with Terry and Alex, after Terry was able to lease a home. The boys knew exactly how to push their dad’s buttons, and Terry’s paranoia grew.

Ricky Chavis

Rick Chavis, also known as Ricky, was a 40 year old handyman. He met Terry at a local flea market, and they seemed to have a lot in common. Ricky apparently came from a broken home, and spent time in foster care. The two became fast friends, and Terry trusted Ricky to watch the boys at first.

Derek and Alex would spend time at Ricky’s after school, and for the first time they were able to watch TV and play video games. Ricky also gave Terry money sometimes when he needed it. However, Terry soon noticed a change in the boys, especially in Alex. Alex became more withdrawn, and would call Terry by his first name. Terry eventually told the boys that they couldn’t spend time with Ricky.

The Runaways

On November 16, 2001, Terry came home one day to find that Derek and Alex had taken a backpack, clothes and several knives, and left the home. Terry drove around the area looking for the boys, and even called the sheriff’s department.

Terry believed that Derek and Alex had gone to Ricky’s house, but Ricky denied it. Ricky did admit that Alex had called him to say they were never coming home.

About a week later, Terry received a call from Derek’s foster family. They said they had seen him in Pace, about 18 miles from their home. The police were called by Derek’s former foster family, and Derek begged them not to send him back, but Terry came to get him. He asked him where they went, and where Alex was. Derek said they spent several days in the woods, and that Alex was still out there.

On November 25, 2001, one day before the murder, Ricky called Terry to say that Alex called him from a payphone, and he went to pick him up. Alex and Derek were afraid that Terry was going to react violently to them running away, so they created a plan to make sure that wouldn’t happen.

The Murder

On November 26, 2001, around 1:30am, a 911 call came in about a fire. The first responders had also received information before they even arrived at the crime scene, about a possible death in the home.

When the first responders arrived, there was heavy smoke and fire conditions. They pried the door open, and immediately found the body of Terry King. He was sitting in his recliner chair with his feet propped up. His arms were crossed, he had dried blood on his face, and on the walls. The crime scene suggested that the fire wasn’t what killed Terry.

Derek and Alex were missing too. The first responders canvassed the neighborhood, asking about the King family. However, not too many people in the area knew much about the family that lived on Muscogee Road.

During the investigation, Terry’s family told the police to look at Ricky Chavis. Everyone thought it was strange that a 40 year old man was so close to two young boys, who were not his children.

The Investigation

The police started by going to Ricky’s home to look around. Ricky’s home was very strange, he had tall fences around his property, electrical wire over the top, and cameras everywhere. Ricky’s behavior also stood out to the police. Ricky told them he had to use the restroom, and rushed to the back of the home while the police were trying to ask him questions.

Ricky had told the police about the voicemail that Alex left him. In the voicemail, he said that they weren’t coming home. The police were suspicious of Ricky’s relationship with the boys, but they didn’t have much evidence to go on.

It was only one day later when Ricky said he was found the boys. The police needed to speak to them and Ricky. These conversations would only leave the police more confused about what really happened, and still leaves questions in everyone’s minds, even to this day.

The Confession(s)

Derek was questioned first, he immediately said that he was afraid that Terry would punish him and Alex for running away. Derek implied that Terry was abusive, even though this has never been proven.

Derek said that Terry was demanding to know where they were, and who they were with. Derek said that Alex wouldn’t give their dad any answers, and Terry grabbed Alex’s arm. Derek said they waited for Terry to fall asleep in his chair. He then grabbed an aluminum baseball bat and hit Terry in the head. He said he heard a crack, and kept hitting him. He was afraid that Terry was going to open his eyes. Alex witnessed the whole murder.

Next, the boys wanted to get rid of the evidence. They put the bat onto Terry’s bed, and Derek lit it on fire. Derek said they left the house, hitchhiked into the woods and stayed their for two days. After two days, they called Ricky and he pick them up.

The police also questioned Alex, who basically said the same thing that Derek did. In Alex’s story, Alex said he told Derek to kill their dad.

Derek and Alex King were both charged as adults, for the murder of their dad.

Ricky’s Side of the Story

The police were stunned about what they just heard, and they were still convinced that Ricky was hiding something.

The police ran Ricky’s criminal history, and discovered that Ricky was a pedophile. In 1984, he was caught in bed with three runaway boys, in a hotel where he worked as a security guard. Ricky was charged, but pled no contest.

In their original interviews, both Derek and Alex said that Ricky was not involved in their dad’s murder. However, Ricky confessed that the boys had been at his house the whole time after they killed Terry. He had a separate compartment in his home, where the boys hid. Ricky also admitted that he and Alex had faked the voicemail that was left.

Ricky said that he really liked Alex, and made Alex believe that he was in love with Ricky too. The police could never prove that the two of them had a sexual relationship, but they believed that Ricky had groomed Alex, and maybe Derek too.

Ricky was charged with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence. Ricky was eventually charged with lude and ludicrous acts against a child, after Alex admitted that Ricky molested him. Alex and Derek also said that Ricky murdered Terry, and then told them exactly what happened, and to take them blame. The boys were told that they would get off if they confessed because they were juveniles.

The Trials and Convictions

In August 2002, Ricky’s trial began. The defense attacked Derek and Alex, because of how many times they changed their stories. Alex testified, and was asked if he was in love with Ricky. Alex said yes, and that Ricky had molested him. Both boys again told the court that Ricky told them to confess because they would get lighter sentences.

The jury deliberated for five hours, and Ricky Chavis was found not guilty of murder.

Derek and Alex were eventually both found guilty of murder, but on September 6, 2002, the judge threw the case out because he believed the boys’ didn’t get a fair trial. The case was resolved in mediation, and the boys agreed to plead guilty to third degree murder.

Derek King was sentenced to 8 years, and released in March 2009. Alex King was sentenced to 7 years, and was released in April 2o08.

*The King brothers in a more recent photo*

Ricky Chavis was found guilty of false imprisonment, and as a accessory after the fact, but was eventually acquitted of child molestation. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison, and isn’t scheduled to be released until April 2036.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This case reminds me of the Menendez brothers case, due to the fact that people are still questioning whether the Menendez brothers or the King brothers were abused by their parents. This might be my own personal opinion, but I believe the Menendez brothers were abused, but not the King brothers. I think the King brothers were abused by Ricky Chavis, not by Terry King. It’s a tragic case, that affected so many people.

It seems to me that Terry was a strict, but loving parent, who wanted the best for the boys. He went through a lot to make sure the boys grew up in a stable environment. Derek and Alex were very troubled, and maybe still are. They were groomed by someone that their father trusted, by someone they trusted. Ricky Chavis should rot in prison, never get out, and never be able to hurt a child ever again.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Terry_King

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-killed-terry-king/

https://www.thoughtco.com/alex-and-derek-king-972684

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-gets-30-years-in-killer-boys-case/