(Image source from: Father axes son to death fearing his child was a demon)

A Phoenix man hacked his son to death on New Year's Eve.

According to Phoenix police Sgt. Steve Martos, officers rushed to an apartment near 12th Street and Bethany Home Road around 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday after they were tipped by the boy's mother.

The mother told the police that her 13-year-old son had gone to her ex-husband, 51-year-old Gary Sherrill's home and did not return home. Sherrill and his ex-wife shared custody of their 13-year-old son David.

When officers arrived at Sherill's home, he lied that his son was not at home. However, after interrogation, the police barged into his home and found the dead body of the young child lying in a pool of his own blood. There were several stab wounds and lacerations on the body.

Sherrill later confessed to killing his son with an ax as he believed his son was a demon and would kill him.

Some of Sherrill's neighbors said he had been acting strange lately. "He had been screaming at a tree the other day," said Davina West.

Another neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said she had seen plenty of family drama.
"The parents were arguing, the mom was on the street, the dad was up by the apartment and the child was in the middle," she said.

Sherrill has been booked into jail on first degree murder charges.

AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury