Man Killed 94-Year-Old Grandfather As He Was 'Wasting Family's Resources'

A California man has confessed to murdering his 94-year-old grandfather two years after his death, police said. The man who turned himself to police last week appeared in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing.

Maurice Sill, 94, of Huntington was found dead on June 6, 2019, in a retirement home just outside Huntington. Sill's death was believed to be from natural causes until last week when his 36-year-old grandson Seth Donald walked into the Beverly Hills Police department. Donald admitted to beating his elderly grandfather to death and was charged with first-degree murder, reported Herald-Dispatch.

Donald had made a 9-minute-long video of the killing which was later sent to his friends and family, Sgt. Jason Davis, with the Huntington Police Department, testified at the court Thursday.

In the video, Donald could be heard talking to Sill while they were both sitting on a bench outside the retirement home. Donald reportedly told Sill about his decision to kill him as the family was wasting resources on him.

In the rest of the video, a struggle could be heard after the camera drops to the ground, Davis told the court. When Sill cried for help and begged him not to kill, Donald replied: “Let it come. Let it come. It's OK, Grandpa. It's time," Davis testified, as reported by ABC7.

Emergency officers arrived at the Woodlands Retirement Community on reports of an unattended death on June 6, 2019. Donald told them that his elderly grandfather died after a medical episode when he took him out to watch nature. Donald said he tried to revive Sill who fell face-first to the ground but did not succeed. Sill's body was then sent for the funeral as the injuries on the body matched with Donald's story.

In January 2020, local police got a call from a friend of Sill's family who raised suspicions about the death. However, the investigation got delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak and restarted last week after Donald's confession.

Donald has given written and recorded statements admitting the murder, police said. On Thursday, Cabell County Magistrate Court found that there was enough probable cause and moved the case to a grand jury.