Girl, 13, Begged For Her Life After Watching Stepdad Murder Her Mom. He Shot Her in the Face — But She Survived

A 13-year-old girl in Florida is recovering after surviving an attack that left her mother dead.

The teen remains in critical but stable condition and is alert and talking, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a press conference. Judd said he spoke with the girl beforehand, and she told him she begged her stepfather not to kill her.

“And he shot me anyway,” she told Judd.

The children are now without parents after their mother, Crystal Kenney, was killed by her husband, Jason Kenney, 47, who later died by suicide just days before Christmas.

Judd said a 911 call came in just before midnight on Dec. 22. According to investigators, Jason had been watching Monday Night Football in a shed behind the house, then went inside to watch the final minutes of the game. Crystal was inside and objected to Jason taking control of the television.

An argument followed, and as it escalated, Crystal told her 12-year-old son to run next door and call 911.

“The 12-year-old flees to the neighbor’s house in order to dial 911, and as he’s leaving the house, he hears a gunshot,” Judd said.

Deputies arrived within five minutes and entered the home, where they found Crystal had been fatally shot in the head. Deputies also found Crystal’s 13-year-old daughter in a bedroom, shot twice—once in the shoulder and once in the face.

“We later learned the bullet in the face hit her on the bridge of the nose, went straight up, and out the top of her head,” Judd said, adding, “That’s a Christmas miracle.”

The third child in the home—an infant daughter of Crystal and Jason—was not harmed.

Investigators said Jason left the scene before deputies arrived and drove to the home of his recently deceased father, where he barricaded himself inside a shed. Judd said that during the drive, Jason contacted his sister and told her he had done “something very, very bad” and that “the next time you see me will be on the news.”

Deputies tracked him to the property, but as they surrounded the shed, Judd said a single gunshot was heard from inside. Jason was later pronounced dead at the scene.

All three children are now being cared for by their maternal grandparents.