Duxbury man charged with murder saw ‘demon’ in dad’s eyes, officials say

DUXBURY, Mass. — The Duxbury teenager accused of killing his father was in court and prosecutors shared a lot of new information.

19-year-old Jack Callahan was in court with a black eye charged with murdering his father, Scott Callahan.

MORE: Duxbury man charged with murder in connection to father’s death

His body was found in a pond at Crooker Memorial Park in Duxbury and Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham said Callahan admitted he was holding his father’s head under water to try to get rid of demons.

“He believed he was baptizing his father. He described he was holding his father in the pond on his back and continually dunked his father’s head in the water about four to eight times,” Buckingham said.

At first, investigators said Callahan claimed his father hit him causing him to black out and he had no idea where his father went.

Callahan’s mother called police early Monday morning and said her son was acting erratically.

“He also referred to the fact that he believed his father’s body was possessed by a spirit that he identified as “Dirty Dan,” and that he was doing these actions, baptizing his father to exorcise these demons,” Buckingham said.

Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said the 57-year-old victim was found with water in his lungs and an abrasion to the head.

“I think we will wait for further determination from the Medical Examiner’s Office but obviously that is a significant injury and we will see what comes into play,” Cruz said.

Callahan’s high profile attorney Kevin Reddington would not comment about his client’s black eye after the hearing.

“These are things that have to be examined by forensic experts,” Reddington said.

But Reddington told the court his client went to Boston to get his father at a bar after the father left an addiction program.

Police said an Uber driver confirmed he took Callahan and the father to the Duxbury pond.

“They tracked down the father, sitting at the bar he was inebriated. He had all the suitcases with him,” Reddington said.

Callahan is being held in jail. He will undergo a mental health evaluation and be back in court on August 12.

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