A man named Jay Katz has recounted the tragic incident where he fatally shot his father and stepmother. In an interview on photographer Mark Laita’s YouTube channel, Katz, also known as Jayant Narayan Katz, confessed to being partially influenced by a 1991 crime movie before committing the heinous act.
The gruesome murders of Katz’s father, Norman, and stepmother, Michelle R. Filling-Katz, took place in Burtonsville, Maryland, in 1991. In a disturbing confession tape, Katz described the killings as thrilling and likened them to a game of pursuit, involving law enforcement.
Court records revealed that Katz’s mother had mentioned his struggles with manic depression, characterized by intense mood fluctuations. Katz served 23 years in prison for two counts of second-degree murder and two firearm-related offenses before being released in 2022. Reflecting on the fateful day, he admitted feeling suicidal.
At the age of 20 during the tragic incident, Katz was contemplating suicide when his father, former US Army doctor Norman N. Katz, invited him to watch a movie. Katz mentioned feeling influenced by the film “New Jack City,” which planted thoughts of seeking vigilante justice in his mind.
Katz alleged in the video interview that he had been a victim of childhood sexual abuse, although this claim was not substantiated in court. He confessed to taking his stepmother’s revolver and shooting her and his father in a chilling sequence of events, leaving them to bleed out without remorse.
Upon discovering the horrific scene, Katz’s younger brother Sanjeev alerted the authorities, implicating Katz as the perpetrator based on previous discussions about harming their parents. Family friends indicated concerns about Katz’s mental health, though his issues were not deemed severe.
Katz ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and firearm offenses in Montgomery County. Faced with a plea deal for a 100-year sentence, he agonized over the decision but eventually accepted, acknowledging the gravity of his actions. After serving his term, Katz was released in March 2022, marking the end of a harrowing chapter in his life.