JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A teen will be in court Thursday, charged with murdering his mom.
Mitchell Daughtry, 14, could be charged as an adult.
Police say he stabbed his mother, Pamela Daughtry, to death, stole the family car and drove to South Florida.
Action News Jax spoke with a friend of Mitchell's who was in contact with him in the days before the killing.
"He's still my best friend but at first I didn't believe he killed her. I thought it was an accident," said Kaitlynn Durham.
But Pamela Daughtry's death wasn't an accident; the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said it was murder.
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"He always talked about how much he loved her," Kaitlynn said of Mitchell's relationship with his mom.
Kaitlynn said she's one of Mitchell's closest friends.
"Mitchell, you could just tell by his Instagram photos he's the emo type, always sad and stuff," Kaitlynn said.
Weeks before his mother's murder, Mitchell posted several messages on social media; one said "I have too much on my mind."
The night of his alleged getaway, his social media accounts sent Snapchats and text messages to friends and family.
"During those texts and phone calls, he also indicated he killed his mother," said JSO Lt. Steve Gallaher.
Investigators say Mitchell is suicidal and angry because his dad was in jail for alleged sex crimes involving an unrelated child.
Prosecutors are deciding if he'll be charged as an adult.
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“Lately, we have been seeing the state attorney’s office take youngsters involved in a homicide and charge them as adults,” said Action News Jax Law and Safety expert Dale Carson. “The severity of the crime is one of the determining factors the state attorney’s office will used to determine whether or not to charge him as an adult, in addition to prior instances.”
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