LARGO, Fla.
— A 37-year-old man is facing two counts of first-degree murder after allegedly fatally shooting his parents in their Largo home before fleeing to Georgia, authorities said.
On Friday at approximately 12:35 p.m., deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office responded to 29 Saunders Avenue to conduct a welfare check after an employee failed to report to work. Upon arrival, deputies found 53-year-old Elizabeth Lee Kirchner and 64-year-old Steven Eric Kirchner dead in their living room with apparent gunshot wounds.
Detectives from the Robbery & Homicide Unit launched an investigation and quickly identified the couple’s son, Nicholas Steven Kirchner, as the primary suspect. He had left the scene before deputies arrived.
According to investigators, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina later contacted Pinellas County authorities about a separate incident involving Nicholas. During that encounter, Nicholas reportedly stated, “I’ve already killed two people – I’ll kill some more,” before fleeing the scene.
Suspect caught in Georgia after multi-state manhunt
Nicholas was eventually apprehended by the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia. Authorities say he admitted multiple times to killing his parents and described the act as a “righteous kill.”
He is currently being held at the McDuffie County Jail in Georgia on a felony warrant for two counts of first-degree premeditated murder. Extradition proceedings are expected to follow.
Next of kin has been notified. The investigation remains ongoing.
Authorities say a Largo man confessed to killing his parents before being captured hundreds of miles away in Georgia.
