Back in 2019, local Lousiana headlines carried some shockingly disturbing news — a 17-year-old shot and killed his father. However, what initially seemed pretty open and closed turned into a layered event that would shake the general public to the core. No doubt there’s nothing quite normal about the situation, but the story of Burt Templet was definitely a story for the screens.
Cue Netflix‘s expository documentary, I Just Killed My Dad, which brought the dark details of the story to light. The narrative was brought to life by the director of Girl in the Picture, Skye Borgman. Not only did it examine the issue of Anthony Templet killing his father, but the gruesome events that led up to it. Here is a closer look at the man at the center of it all.
Burt Templet’s Background
At times, horrific actions tend to overshadow a person’s narrative, and that’s pretty much Burt Templet’s story. Not much is known about his background, but it would seem that he had abusive tendencies from the start. However, it is clear that he was a Louisiana resident who passed away at the age of 53. According to his obituary, he was pronounced dead at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge on June 6, 2019. It further stated that his was a “… a tragic case of domestic violence, that ended very badly.”
Setting The Stage: What Exactly Happened To Burt Templet
Precisely on 3rd June 2019, Templet was shot and eventually killed his 17-year-old son. Apparently, the altercation started over the phone and quickly escalated. According to Anthony Templet, at some point, his father attempted to attack him then the pair got into a fistfight. At some point, he ran into his room, shut the door, and retrieved a gun. In the recorded 911 call, he revealed, “As I unlocked the door, he tried to [inaudible] and then I shot him.” While the shots were fatal, Burt Templet did not pass away on the scene. Rather, he ended up giving up the ghost a few days later. Naturally, his some was soon charged with murder of the second degree.
Key Moments And Revelations In The Burt Templet Story
While the story on the surface portrayed a troubled teen that ended up taking his father’s life, the Netflix documentary revealed more. Apparently, back in 2007 Templet took his son and cut off all connections with Anthony’s mother and half-sister. However, that marked the beginning of Anthony Templet’s misery as his father continually abused him mentally and physically. In the Netflix’s I Just Killed My Dad, he revealed that his father often “punched and thrown and kicked” and even worse “sometimes it wouldn’t stop for hours“.
But apparently, his abusive nature dates back a lot longer than that. Anthony Templet’s half sister revealed that Burt Templet would often beat his then wife while holding his son whom he eventually whisked away. Needless to say, Templet’s mother and sister had mixed feelings when they finally finding out Anthony Templet’s whereabouts. On one hand, they were glad to know he was alright, but on the other, they were distraught about the murder case.
The Fate Of Anthony Templet
All things considered, Anthony Templet is a vital part of the Burt Templet story. The release of the Netflix documentary, I Just Killed My Father revealed the story of a highly troubled man who systematically abused his son. This all happened till he was eventually pushed over the edge. In Templet’s sister’s words, “He has been secluded and abused all these years by his own father. My brave brother had to defend himself for the last time against that evil man.”
During the trial, Franz Borghardt, one of Templet’s attorneys revealed that he had suffered years of abuse that were synonymous with “torture.” Altogether, the teenager was initially charged with murder in the second degree. However, as things unravelled those charges were reduced to manslaughter. It was clear that he was simply acting in self-defense after years of enduring abuse. By 2021, Templet went on to plead no contest to negligible homicide and was sentenced to five years of supervised probation with credit for time served. This was under the condition that he earned his GED, receive counseling as well as attending school or working full time.
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