My worst nightmare come true - murderer walks the halls at school with my kids

[ELLE-TN]

I live in a small country town where we've always felt pretty safe. The kind of place where you don't fear leaving your doors unlocked at night or letting the kids camp out in the back yard. But, as of late things have started to change. Seems like crime is on the rise all over and its even hitting home for us which became more evident to my family over the weekend when the following news hit the airwaves.

This story taken from the local paper:

ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County teen accused of murdering his grandparents allegedly shot his retired police officer grandfather and then waited for his grandmother to come home before stabbing her to death.
Brandon Charles Fannin, 16, was charged as a juvenile Monday with two counts of first-degree murder and will appear in Hawkins County Juvenile Court on Thursday morning for a detention hearing.
He is accused in the murders of his grandparents, Clyde Hoyt Fannin, 64, and Linda Sue Fannin, 54, whose bodies were discovered by police Saturday afternoon in their home at 3210 Stanley Valley Road.
Clyde Fannin retired from the Newport News (Va.) Police Department in 2003 after 31 years as a police officer. Linda Fannin was employed in a medical office in Kingsport.
The attorney general’s office has announced its intention to prosecute the boy as an adult.
On Tuesday, the Times-News acquired the juvenile petition filed by the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office against Brandon Fannin charging him with two counts of first-degree murder.
That petition, which was filed Monday afternoon, included new information not released by the HCSO during Monday’s press conference.
According to the petition, Linda Fannin was allegedly stabbed multiple times by Brandon Fannin. The HCSO made no mention of a stabbing during Monday’s press conference.
The petition alleges that Brandon Fannin gave a statement indicating he “had recently shot Clyde Fannin in the residence and then waited on Linda Fannin to come home and stabbed her multiple time, killing them both and attempting to clean up the scene.”
According to the petition, the two officers who initially discovered the Fannins’ bodies described looking through a window of the house and seeing “blood splatter on a wall and ceiling, and blood on a couch. Also observed was a large rug with an apparent foot protruding from underneath. Entry was made in the residence, and two bloody deceased bodies were located in the rug.”
Investigators believe the Fannins were murdered no less than 24 hours prior to their bodies being discovered — either Thursday or Friday.
Linda Fannin was employed at Cardiovascular Associates in Kingsport. When she didn’t show up for work Friday, a co-worker, Carolyn Sexton, reportedly called her home and spoke to Brandon Fannin.
“She didn’t show up for work Friday morning, and she hadn’t called anybody, which is unlike her,” Sexton said. “She’s worked here since January of 2005 and has missed work twice, and the second time she didn’t show up was because she was dead. I called the home, and he (Brandon) answered, and I asked to speak to her. ... He just told me she was very sick.”
A family member asked police to make a welfare check on the Fannin residence Saturday afternoon.
Brandon was missing when police discovered the bodies Saturday, as was the couple’s 2006 Honda Odyssey.
According to the petition, police found a letter on the kitchen table signed by Brandon Fannin stating “he had found his grandparents deceased and a thief must have killed them.”
Brandon Fannin returned home in the Honda Odyssey Monday at 3:45 a.m. and was taken into custody. A deputy had been stationed at the house since detectives left early Sunday morning.
Linda Fannin’s sister, Donna Foster, told the Times-News that Brandon had recently been suspended from VolunteerHigh School for carrying a knife. Foster said Brandon’s behavior problems had created tension in the home, and the Fannins were afraid of Brandon.
No motive for the killings has been released. Law enforcement officials aren’t willing to talk on the record about many details of this investigation due to it involving a juvenile.
The Times-News has spoken to reliable members of the law enforcement community close to the investigation, however, who agreed to share more details about the case on the condition of remaining anonymous.
They said Brandon Fannin has been treated for mental illness through PeninsulaHospital near Knoxville, and investigators have subpoenaed those records.
Brandon Fannin allegedly slit Linda Fannin’s throat from behind, and when she didn’t collapse immediately he stabbed her repeatedly. He reportedly described the act to investigators without emotion.
Brandon Fannin thought no one would know about the murders until Monday when Linda Fannin didn’t show up for work. When he returned home early Monday morning he was there to get supplies and wasn’t aware that there was a national BOLO (Be On the Lookout) for him and the vehicle.
He’d also reportedly gone to IndianPathMedicalCenter over the weekend for treatment of a minor injury. When hospital staff said it was a non-emergency and they couldn’t treat him without a parent’s permission, he fled the hospital.
Police believe that after the killings Brandon Fannin went to the Rogersville Wal-Mart, a Wal-Mart in Kingsport, and to the FortHenryMall, and that he slept in the van.
Brandon Fannin is being held at the UpperEastTennesseeRegionalJuvenileDetentionCenter in Johnson City pending Thursday’s detention hearing

This kid went to school my 2 of my 3 kids. Rumor has it that he had threatened on a social networking site that "he wasn't done killing yet."

[aurorahorse]

That's very scary! I grew up in the area (Bristol TN/VA). Wow. I'm sorry! I'm glad they caught him.

[3timesoccermom]

Even if the boy is mentally ill this is still a horrible thing and very scary to think he could possibly have snapped on someone at school.

I just wonder why the grandparents were raising him? Sure see this a lot now. And there have been a couple of incidents in our area the past few years of this same thing - grandkids killing their grandparents.

Here's my opinion, these are kids who weren't disciplined and they turned into rotten monsters who couldn't take not getting their way all the time.
EXCEPTION: IF LEGITIMATE MENTAL ILLNESS IS INVOLVED.

[everprincess]

This is very scary. I'm glad he is in custody.