Brenda and Dennis Freeman were peaceful, quiet Jehovah's Witnesses who had planned to raise their three sons to be just the same. They wanted their boys to grow up in their faith and be good citizens..but who doesn't want their kids to be good people? This changed when two of their sons, Bryan Freeman and David

Freeman chose to denounce their faith and become involved with Neo-Nazism after discovering it and being intrigued by it at a rehabilitation facility they were sent to at ages 12 and 13 due to drug and alcohol use. The boys were not shy about their beliefs, dressing in camo pants, doc marten combat boots, shaving their heads, and even displaying their beliefs across their heads and necks by the way of tattoos expressing their hatred. It was known that the boys caused trouble at school and at home, but not known by many just how bad Brenda and Dennis struggled to help their sons. Eventually, on February 26, 1995, the two boys at ages 16 and 17, along with their 18-year-old cousin, Nelson Birdwell III committed the ultimate act of violence toward Brenda, Dennis, and Brian and David's 11-year-old brother, Erik by bludgeoning all three of them to death and fleeing to Michigan where they were ultimately caught.

Sources

The Roanoke Times (1995)

Sun Signs

Oxygen (2022)

Grunge (2022)

The Morning Call (2015)