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Documentary Explores Mother’s Struggle After Son’s Murder Conviction

3/28/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Justyn Pennell, then 21, killed 75-year-old Michael Pratt in Florida in 2020, saying he sought the thrill of killing.
He was sentenced to life in prison after pleading no contest to first-degree murder.
Dawn Haas, Pennell's mother, discusses the case in the documentary Evil Lives Here: My Child the Killer, grappling with her son's violent tendencies and childhood behaviors.
The documentary premieres on March 31.

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Story summary

Justyn Pennell, then 21, killed 75-year-old Michael Pratt in Florida in 2020, saying he sought the thrill of killing.
He was sentenced to life in prison after pleading no contest to first-degree murder.
Dawn Haas, Pennell's mother, discusses the case in the documentary Evil Lives Here: My Child the Killer, grappling with her son's violent tendencies and childhood behaviors.
The documentary premieres on March 31.