A relative of the Port St Lucie teen accused of beating his parents to death with a hammer before throwing a house party says the murders have shocked and devastated the "normal family."
Dave Zanoni, whose wife is the niece of victims Blake and Mary-Jo Hadley, said he couldn't believe it when he picked up the phone and heard of the shocking deaths.
"When we received the phone call, we thought it was a terrible car accident or something, we had no idea it was going to be what it turned out to be," Zanoni said. "I just can't believe it, I'm waiting to wake up from the nightmare."
Police say that nightmare unfolded Saturday, when 17-year-old Tyler Hadley allegedly attacked his parents with a hammer. By the time it was over, both were dead, having suffered blunt force trauma to the head and torso.
Just as shocking as the alleged murders, police say the teen threw a house party just hours after the deaths, with between 40 and 60 people attending, apparently unaware the Hadleys' bodies were behind the locked door to the master bedroom.
After receiving an anonymous tip, police found the bodies of Blake, 54, and Mary-Jo, 47, Sunday morning, their bodies partially covered with books, towels and other household items. A 22-inch hammer, believed to be the murder weapon, was found between them, police said.
"It's just a sad, senseless, tragic loss," said Zanoni. "I can't believe it, it hasn't hit me yet."
Zanoni, who lives in Broward, said he had been with the family this past Thanksgiving, and that nothing seemed irregular.
"The last time we were all together with Tyler was Thanksgiving, everything seemed normal, I mean just a normal family," he said. "I've never seen anything out of the ordinary with that family."
Zanoni said the couple, who also had another son, 23-year-old Ryan, were ideal parents who loved their kids.
"Blake and Mary-Jo were definitely good parents, they loved their children immensely, I witnessed it first-hand," Zanoni said. "Mary-Jo, she loved kids, she was a school teacher."
Tyler Hadley now faces two counts of first-degree murder and is being held without bond.
As for Ryan Hadley, Zanoni said he can't imagine what the older brother is going through.
"He's in shock, he came back and his parents are gone and his brother's gone now too," Zanoni said. "The whole family's devastated."