Parents. I dont think anybody is j umping up and down about having to put a 17 year old boy in jail. This was a lot bigger and a lot deeper than what initially we thought. They thought they picked out some weak minded kid. They didnt know who they were playing with. Hello, and welcome to dateline. Madison holton was a restless teenager itching for independence, but his parents were worried he was headed for trouble. They gave him an ultimatum, shape up or suffer the consequences. Then in the blink of an eye, two people were dead. Police thought it was an open and shut case but a Chance Meeting in church would lead to a jaw dropping conclusion. Heres Josh Mankiewicz with 11 minutes. The long road of parenthood, always watching as your kids grasp at life. You cheer from the stands. Get him madison. Do your best to keep them safe, hoping they make it through this world in one piece. Madison holton was born a handful. His parents, april and michael, could barely keep up. Madison was always the helpful kid. Tanya was madisons moms best friend. She says madison was always sweet and a little different. I remember we had a birdhouse that my mom had brought over, and she was going to put it in my backyard. The other kids run, go, play, have fun, oh, Mom Needs Help . Whatever. Not available. Not available. Madisons like hey, do you want me to help you do it . School was a battlefield. Madison was picked on, the scrawny kid and a bit of a loner. He was always doing his own thing. Everything changed by madisons senior year school. He sprouted to almost 6 feet and had less time for dad and mom. Madison was very social. He had a lot of friends. Hannah traylor and madison grew up in the tiny town of eclectic, alabama. He was always the class clown, like really goofy, trying to make everybody laugh. He might get in trouble for talking too much in class. As madison crossed over into the land of teendom, his parents found themselves without a map. During senior year, people are turning 18, theyre about to graduate high school. You know, he was just like any of the other kids that thought, oh, im about to gain freedom and im just going to like push my boundaries a little bit. Madison had started hanging out with with a group of friend, but i feel like, too, that group of friends kind of opened a door to marijuana and partying and all that stuff. They opened the door and madison walked through it . Yeah. April worried about where this road might take her son. So she begged her brother chris, a Police Officer, to talk some sense into madison. I sat down with him, and i a long talk with him. And i said, look, this is not the lifestyle you want to choose. At the same time madison was going through his teenage rebellion, his parents april and michael, were separating. They were united in their message to madison. Mess up again and youll go to jail. He had one chance left, and on september 11th, 2016, he blew it. While his dad was at work, madison threw a house party. Someone else called michael and said my kid came home from your house under the influence of something, and i want to know why. So michael was embarrassed at that point. Michael calls april and says you need to get to my house. Weve got to deal with this. Chris has a twin brother, mike, who Thought Madisons dad had good reason to be embarrassed. Michael holton had a reputation to protect in eclectic. He was the former mayor, former fire chief. Very wellknown. How dare you embarrass me in this community, so im sure he was bleep . I dont blame him. I would be bleep too if my kid threw a house party. When Michael Holton walked into the house, he found the remnants of a teenage party, Homemade Bongs were scattered throughout the house, a box that smelled suspicious. That was it. And what he did, he called the Sheriffs Office and we sent a deputy up there. Bill franklin is sheriff of elmore county, and the deputy sent to the house that day happened to be his son. When Deputy Franklin arrived, michael had something to say. Mr. Holton had actually greeted him in the yard and told him, hey, when you come in, youre going to see my son is handcuffed. And he said, im trying to discipline my son. Sheriff franklin said hes seen parents discipline their kids in all sorts of ways. I dont think that his intent was to harm or hurt the kid. He was merely trying to see twht he could do to get his attention. To me putting a kid in handcuffs says either im disciplining you and im serious about this, or im afraid of you. Possible thats what was going on there . Could have been. Could have been. The deputy reported april was in the living room, Madison Solemn on the couch. His hands cuffed behind his back. Michael asked the deputy how as parents they could get the juvenile exp call report the next day, a monday. He was very, i would say inquisitive, about what could he do paperwork wise to get his child in front of a judge, so he could talk to the judge about the problems that he was experiencing with the child. So maybe straighten him out in his view . Thats right, thats right. Call it tough love if you want, to the sheriff michael and april just seemed to be grasping for a solution. They were pretty much reached their wits end, one of those things. But these were not people who were in the midst of some huge fight . No, no, not at all. The deputy left michael and april with instructions about how to get a copy of the Police Report the next day, a monday. He leaves and supposedly everythings okay. And then 11 minutes later theres a 911 call . Thats correct. Now Law Enforcement was rushing back to Michael Holtons house. Gunshots had been fired. Only three people had been in that home, and now one of them was dead, another lay dying. What had happened in just 11 minutes . Coming up we noticed trauma, what appeared to be blood trauma. A marriage on the rocks. What did you see . She would just share little stories. And bodies in the bedroom. We discovered what appeared like an entry wound to the back of his head. You go forward with a homicide investigation. Its not a head scratcher. You get a piece of paper that says homicide. When dateline continues. Why hide your skin if dupixent has your moderatetosevere eczema or Atopic DermatitisUnder Control . Hide our skin . Not us. Because dupixent targets a root cause of eczema, it helps heal your skin from within keeping you one step ahead of it. And for kids ages 6 and up that means clearer skin, and noticeably less itch. Hide my skin . Not me. By helping to control eczema with dupixent, you can change how their skin looks and feels. And thats the kind of change you notice. Hide my skin . Not me. Dont use if youre allergic to dupixent. Serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. 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Eye care is an incredibly important part of your longterm diabetes management. See a path forward with actions and treatments a Retina Specialist can provide that may help your eyes and protect against vision loss. Just say to yourself, now eye see. then go see an eye care specialist. Visit noweyesee. Com to get the facts about diabetes, your eyes, and what you can do next to take charge of your sight. Brought to you by regeneron. Michael holtons front lawn was a Disaster Scene with everyone trying to make sense of what had happened. Inside two people lay on the bedroom floor, a pistol between them. All arriving deputies knew for sure was that the situation had escalated in almost no time at all. About 4 48 our deputy leaves. 4 59 we receive another 911 call. So whatever happens, it happens in 11 minutes . Thats right. Captain chris ogden was an investigator on the case. Madison left his residence and reported to his neighbors that his parents were involved in a physical altercation. Madison told investigators it all started as soon as the deputy whod been there about the house party had left. After his parents came back in after speaking with the deputy, they went into the bedroom and became involved in a physical fight. Does madison say what the fight was about or what sparked the fight . I believe the assumption was obviously it had to do with madison. On the phone with 911, the neighbors said it was an attempted murdersuicide. Michael holton was dead by the time deputies arrived. Madisons mom was unconscious but breathing. So investigators first thought was mr. Holton shot his wife and then himself. From what we had been told, you would think that he actually shot her, mr. Holton, and then would have turned the gun and shot himself. Thats what one would tend to believe. Aprils injuries suggested shed been shot through her hand first, as if shed put it up to protect herself. And then as she turned her face away from the gun, she was shot in the head. Michaels injuries appeared selfinflicted. And we noticed trauma, what appeared to be blood trauma in his mouth. The first formulated thought is well, he probably shot himself in the mouth. Earlier, theyd seemed like two parents on the same page about their teenage son. What had happened to this couple in only 11 minutes . April and michael got together in high school. They married after graduation and pretty quickly became the parents of three kids. She was all about her kids all the time, always kind of thought she was this do it all kind of mom. Made it seem effortless . But i knew it wasnt, but yeah, she did. She always looked good. She always put her best foot forward. Michael holtons friend tony remembers him as a fixture in eclectic. He couldnt go around town without being recognized. Hed worked his way up from paramedic to fire chief and then mayor. Everyone knew him. He was always very nice, very funny, have r easy going. He and april seemed happy . Yeah, yeah, they did seem happy for a long time. And then that changed . Yeah. What did you see . She would share little stories. Maybe he wasnt as nice to her. Tanya says april felt she couldnt do anything right in the marriage. By summer 2016 she was done. April filed paperwork for a divorce. I think she was at peace with her decision. Was mike at peace with it . No. No, mike was not. Too late. April had made her decision, and on september 11th, 2016, april only answered michaels call because the latest Family Crisis was about madison. Obviously madison had thrown a party and so, they had to talk to madison about it, and she sh obviously madison had thrown a party and so, they had to talk to madison about it, and she was like im going to have to go over there. Sounds like she didnt want to go over to mikes . No, she did not want to go. She did not, but she was going to. I mean, she needed to go for madison. So had Michael Holton just snapped in a fit of sorrow and rage . Thats what it looked like to investigators, at first. So when you finally actually move his body. We discovered what appeared like an entry wound to the back of his head. So thats the first false note here. That changed the dynamics of the investigation. Ive been in Law Enforcement for 39 years. Ive never seen somebody try to commit suicide in such a weird, unique manner. If you argued that mr. Holton did shoot his wife and then turn the gun on himself, why such a bizarre way to do that . The next morning a State Pathologist confirmed Michael Holton had a close Contact Wound at the base of his head. And to investigators the angle seemed telling. The only way we were able to do that is hold a gun upside down and place it upside down and then angle it because, remember, the angle is upwards. Upside down and using his left hand. The thing about that is Michael Holton was righthanded. Normally when men commit suicide, they use their dominant hand. Sure. Not their weaker hand. Thats right. To the sheriff and his investigators, that made suicide improbable, and the pathologist agreed. He classified Michael Holtons death a homicide. He does not believe that that man would have killed himself or would have been able to kill himself in that manner. And so you go forward with a homicide investigation. Its not a head scratcher. You get a piece of paper that says homicide. This was now a murder investigation, and if there were three people in that house and two were victims, that simple arithmetic made madison the prime suspect. What happened in those 11 minutes . The interrogation begins. Coming up i jumped up, i ran to the master bedroom door. I kicked it open. My dad was holding her like this. I was like, i need to go get help, and then i ran screaming help to my neighbors house. Madisons dramatic story. Will Police Believe it . He didnt seem that upset . No, no, he seemed more concerned about missing home coming. When dateline continues. 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Their sister had been shot in the head, and there was little doctors could do. You see in the movies with the machine breathing for the person, and this is far more surreal than what it seems like in the movies. This is goodbye, there is no more hellos, there is no more hugs. No more phone calls, theres no more birthday videos. This is it. It was 11 00 September 12th when they pronounced april dead. Worst day of your life . To date. One person who did not get to say goodbye was aprils oldest son. Madison was now a murder suspect. Hed been questioned that morning at the Sheriffs Office. After one round of the interrogation, the sheriff asked madisons uncle chris to join them. Theres a reason he is here, okay . Hes got your best interests at heart. At that point, i really i didnt know what to think. I didnt know if madison did it. I didnt know if he didnt do it. I wasnt there. I had not seen any evidence. Heres what madison said happened after the first deputy left. My dad like signaled my mom to come into the room, and she did. And he shut the door. After about five minutes you say your heard your mom scream help. Scream help. Okay. And what did you do . I jumped up, i ran to the master bedroom door, i kicked it open, and my dad was holding her like this. I was like i need to go get help, and then i sprinted screaming help to my neighbors house. Madison said he didnt see or hear what happened next, not even the gunshots while he was at his neighbors house. The sheriff wasnt buying that one bit. Will you agree with me that there was a gunshot fired . I mean, what ive been told, yes. But youve never heard that . No, sir. Investigators Thought Madison didnt seem like a kid who was sad about what had happened to his mother and father. Do you feel like any of this is on you . I dont know. I didnt hurt either of my parents. The doctor down there said they didnt shoot themselves. I dont care what the doctor said, i didnt shoot my parents. And madisons own uncle, an officer himself, knew the significance of this moment. This will be the only time that if your story is any different than what youve told me listen to me. If its any different, okay, now is the time to tell them. Lets say you walked in there and your dads got your momma by the throat, and you did what you thought you had to do. So maybe madison shot his dad to protect his mom . That sounds almost like youre offering him a story that you know fits the evidence and is also exculpatory. Well, at that point, though, i had not seen any evidence. At that point i had only seen my sister. I had seen that her hand was wrapped in gauze, which tells me that something happened it her hand, and at some point i that somebody told me she was shot in the hand and the head. Back in the interrogation room, madison stuck to his defense. I already told you all everything that i know. Ive told you all everything that i know. As the interrogation was wrapping up and the sheriff and chris were walking out, madison made a gesture in their direction. To the sheriff that Middle Finger came out of nowhere. And later investigators reported madison was talking about homecoming on the way to take a blood sample. He seemed more concerned about a missing homecomi