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Police: College Student Charged With Killing Parents Said "God Told Me To"
TBO.com/AP News ^ | 12/11/04 | Bill Poovey/AP

Posted on 12/12/2004 8:41:41 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - A college student who admitted he fatally shot his parents in their bedroom and broke a chain saw cutting up their bodies told investigators: "God told me to."

Philip Badowski made the comment in a recorded interview with police following the Dec. 2 slayings of Chester "Chet" Badowski Jr., 47, and Christine Badowski, 46. Prosecutors played the recording at Badowski's preliminary hearing Friday.

General Sessions Court Judge Bob Moon referred two murder and abuse of corpse charges to a grand jury and ordered Badowski held without bail. Lawyers for both sides declined to comment after the hearing.

Badowski, 22, a student at Chattanooga State Technical Community College, sobbed at times during the recorded interview and at one point asked: "I'm not dreaming this whole thing, am I?"

He said the killings were "spur of the moment" after his parents scolded him when they returned from a weeklong mission trip to Haiti, where they volunteered drilling wells.

"I was pretty mad for what they were saying. They were cussing and calling me bad names because I had some friends over while they were out of town," he said in the interview.

Badowski told police he shot his father with a rifle, then struggled with his mother and struck her with the gun before shooting her in the head.

He said he tried to dismember their bodies with a chain saw, but it broke.

Investigators went to the house to check on the couple after they failed to show up at their jobs. Badowski told police that his parents were out of town, but officers unlocked a bedroom door and found the bodies, according to the police report.

Christine Badowski had been decapitated and her arms and legs were cut off, investigators said. Chet Badowski's legs had been cut before the saw broke.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: chainsaw; chattanooga; matricide; patricide; phillipbadowski; shooting; tennessee

1 posted on 12/12/2004 8:41:41 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

Damned if ya do, and damned if ya don't, huh?


2 posted on 12/12/2004 8:42:33 AM PST by Ready4Freddy (Carpe Sharpei !)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle



Musta been that allah guy again...


3 posted on 12/12/2004 8:43:35 AM PST by SouthernFreebird
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
Phillip Badowski:


4 posted on 12/12/2004 8:44:44 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (I feel more and more like a revolted Charlton Heston, witnessing ape society for the very first time)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
I tried the "God told me to do it" defense when I got my last speeding ticket, but it didn't work.

So, good luck with that.

5 posted on 12/12/2004 8:45:06 AM PST by Dog Gone
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To: Ready4Freddy

I think it safe to assume that Santa has Master Badowski on the "coal" list this year.


6 posted on 12/12/2004 8:45:51 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (I feel more and more like a revolted Charlton Heston, witnessing ape society for the very first time)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

We've come a long way since Flip Wilson and "The devil made me do it".


7 posted on 12/12/2004 8:46:20 AM PST by NCjim
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

Yup, lump o' coal, bag o' switches!


8 posted on 12/12/2004 8:47:14 AM PST by Ready4Freddy (Carpe Sharpei !)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle


Interesting that he blames God, not the devil.


9 posted on 12/12/2004 8:47:14 AM PST by onyx (A BLESSED & MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

His "god's" minions await him in prison.


10 posted on 12/12/2004 8:47:46 AM PST by DTogo (U.S. out of the U.N. & U.N out of the U.S.)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
Satan likes to pose as God for those willing to listen.

If someone has murder in their heart...they're clearly willing to listen and have placed themselves out of tune with, and far away from, the influence of the true God and His Holy Spririt who would tell them to forgive and to love.

11 posted on 12/12/2004 8:47:56 AM PST by Jeff Head (www.dragonsfuryseries.com)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

NEVER buy your chain saw at 'Dollar General'.


12 posted on 12/12/2004 8:58:01 AM PST by who knows what evil? (If arrogance was beauty, New England women would be supermodels!)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

Though murder was in his heart, this wasn't "spur of the moment".....he did it in revenge for their having scolded him. He knew he had done wrong, but chaffed at the admonishment. But his rebellion goes far beyond his parents....his rebellion is against God.


13 posted on 12/12/2004 9:11:24 AM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
"I was pretty mad for what they were saying. They were cussing and calling me bad names because I had some friends over while they were out of town," he said in the interview.

There's your motive, right there. The 'God made me do it' thing is just a sociopath's way of trying to avoid responsibility by trying to convince people he's psychotic. He's a sociopath, devoid of conscience. This is what he does, and this is what he will continue to do, to people who try to thwart him, unless he's removed from society, one way or another, for the rest of his life.

14 posted on 12/12/2004 9:13:41 AM PST by wimpycat (As God is my witness, I'll never be "outraged" again!)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

It would be interesting to know what exactly was said during their argument.

Still the "God told me to do it" is most likely his attempt to be declared insane.

On another note, I am in Tennessee and I know Judge Moon, he is an avid bowhunter and even represented some bow manufacturers for a while I think.

I have read a few newspaper articles about this but this is the first reference to Judge Moon.


15 posted on 12/12/2004 9:13:44 AM PST by girlangler
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

Chatanooga????? Well how do we know the kid really said this of his own volition not that that reproter suggested that the kid say this to make the story better?


16 posted on 12/12/2004 9:14:59 AM PST by JLS
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
god (small g) told him to do it...he is the most tolerant god....he doesn't care what name you call him by or even if you acknowledge his existence....just as long as you do not acknowledge worship honor or obey the real...God

God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
17 posted on 12/12/2004 9:18:56 AM PST by joesnuffy (Moderate Islam Is For Dilettantes)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

The "God told me to" defense may, just may, impress someone in Tennessee or a few other places. In many places it would probably get him an enhanced sentence for claiming to believe in God.


18 posted on 12/12/2004 9:20:33 AM PST by FreePaul
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To: JLS
As a CHATTANOOGA (two t's and two o's please) resident, the entire community has been shocked by this gruesome murder. According to other stories, Badowski had a few parties while his parents were out of town, and they argued over that. He also has a 24-year-old brother in the military and a 19-year-old sister at MTSU, who were present at the hearing and had to hear the gory details (there's a lot more that are too disgusting to mention). The AP story neglected to mention that marijuana was found in the house as well. The general consensus around here is that Badowski has schizophrenia or was a meth user.

Please keep the brother and sister in your prayers. This murder happened nearby my neighborhood in the very middle of conservative suburbia. The whole community is pretty shocked.
19 posted on 12/12/2004 9:38:46 AM PST by RockyTop4GOP
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Comment #20 Removed by Moderator

To: Irrelevant
If he'd blamed video games, the country would be in an uproar and McCain would be holding hearings.

Heck... if he'd blamed either America or Israel: he'd have his own regular column in the NYT right now. :)

21 posted on 12/12/2004 9:50:50 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (I feel more and more like a revolted Charlton Heston, witnessing ape society for the very first time)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
"I was pretty mad for what they were saying. They were cussing and calling me bad names because I had some friends over while they were out of town," he said in the interview.


22 posted on 12/12/2004 9:54:57 AM PST by Wormwood (Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!)
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To: Wormwood
Whoops. Sorry about that.

/mea culpa

23 posted on 12/12/2004 9:56:15 AM PST by Wormwood (Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

Yeah, yeah. BS. The ol', "I hear voices" defense. Did he receive these messages from a neighbor's dog?


24 posted on 12/12/2004 10:00:22 AM PST by csvset
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To: Wormwood

Wow, pretty touchy, aren't they?


25 posted on 12/12/2004 10:02:03 AM PST by mountaineer
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To: csvset
Did he receive these messages from a neighbor's dog?

Yes, he either said "son of Sam" or "Seinfeld's van."

26 posted on 12/12/2004 10:03:33 AM PST by mountaineer
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To: Dog Gone

There was a famous highway (Hwy 666)...it runs through my area. People would speed on that highway and when they got caught and ticketed...they would say the devil made them do it.

The highway is now Highway 491.


27 posted on 12/12/2004 10:04:22 AM PST by trussell (I Never Frown, even when I am sad,because I never know who is falling in love with my Smile!!!)
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To: mountaineer

LOL. Being an internet smart-ass used to be a lot easier. ;-)


28 posted on 12/12/2004 10:05:49 AM PST by Wormwood (Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
Badowski, 22, a student at Chattanooga State Technical Community College, sobbed at times during the recorded interview and at one point asked: "I'm not dreaming this whole thing, am I?" You wish
29 posted on 12/12/2004 10:16:06 AM PST by DarkSavant (It's like a koala bear crapped a rainbow in my brain!)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

Must have been the "god" of the "religion of peace."


30 posted on 12/12/2004 10:17:08 AM PST by sweetliberty (Just because we CAN do something, doesn't mean we should.)
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To: DarkSavant
My understanding is that his attorney plans on asking the court for leniency, on account of the fact that "after all: the poor kid's a freakin' orphan, Your Honor...!" :)
31 posted on 12/12/2004 10:18:08 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (I feel more and more like a revolted Charlton Heston, witnessing ape society for the very first time)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
"I was pretty mad for what they were saying. They were cussing and calling me bad names because I had some friends over while they were out of town," he said in the interview.

Boy, we're gonna have to go over this part again. Did the Lord God speak to you before or after your parents cussed at you?

Also, in related questions, why did you have such easy access to a gun and a chainsaw? Almost sounds like it was, well, pre-meditated. (medicated?)

32 posted on 12/12/2004 11:00:08 AM PST by searchandrecovery (A mime is a terrible thing to waste.)
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To: All

As an old high school friend of Philip's, and his wonderful family, I am having serious trouble getting over this. His family was the best, and so was he. Something has obviously happened to him since high school. I know he got into drugs, and has been diagnosed with a mental disorder, but it was not Philip at all. This was so shocking to hear about, even those who weren't that close to him, but knew him, were so disturbed by this incident. As for his brother and sister, Russell and Jennifer, they are the sweetest people I have ever known. The Badowski's were a very normal family, and no one could have ever seen this coming. It just makes you sick to hear something like this, and for it to be someone you know, makes it that much worse. Please have a little tact when making comments, people read these comments that are, or were close to these people at some time. Try not to make it harder on those people.


33 posted on 12/16/2004 3:46:52 PM PST by CSS9229
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