Iowa teen fatally stabbed parents to ‘take charge of his life,’ police say

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — An Iowa teenager accused of fatally stabbing his parents reportedly told police he killed them to “take charge of his life,” authorities said.

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Ethan Alexander Orton, 17, of Cedar Rapids, is facing two counts of first-degree murder and will be charged as an adult, according to the Linn County Attorney’s Office.

Misty Scott Slade, 41, and Casey Orton, 42, were found in their Cedar Rapids home shortly after 2 a.m. CDT, The Gazette of Cedar Rapids reported.

According to the Cedar Rapids Police Department, officers found Ethan Orton sitting outside his home covered in blood, the newspaper reported.

According to KCRG, the teen reportedly told officers he used a knife to stab his parents but later used an ax on his mother when she appeared to survive the initial attack. According to a criminal complaint, Ethan Orton reportedly told police he killed his parents to “take charge of his life.”

At a news conference, Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman called the incident “indescribable.”

Orton’s bail was set at $2 million during his initial court appearance Thursday, according to The Gazette.

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