http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/091109_justin_parrish_arrestMan Charged in Grandfather's DeathUpdated: Monday, 09 Nov 2009, 8:23 PM CST
Published : Monday, 09 Nov 2009, 1:44 PM CST
Justin Wayne Parris | Harris County Sheriff's Office photo
MENA EL-SHARKAWI
Web Producer
HOUSTON - A 22-year-old man accused of murdering his grandfather had dismembered the senior's head before placing a sheet over his body, according to court documents.
Johnnie Gonzales Morales, 81, made it a daily ritual to escort his 12-year-old granddaughter to and from her school bus stop, according to the documents.
But on Friday afternoon, officers found the 81-year-old's head next to his body, which was covered by a sheet, according to the statement. His grandson, Justin Wayne Parris, was charged with murder/manslaughter.
Parris' sister said she got off the school bus Friday afternoon and didn't see Morales, according to the documents. When she walked to a nearby store and called home, Parris told her Morales wasn't home.
But when the girl arrived at their home in the 900 block of Lamonte, she found Parris pacing back and forth on the front porch, according to the documents.
When she asked her brother whether Morales was home, he simply replied, "no," according to the statement. But the girl noticed Morales' car parked in the driveway when she entered the house.
The girl says she walked to the back of the house, where she found her grandfather's wrist peeking out from under the sheet, according to the documents.
"(The girl) stated that she yelled at the defendant, 'What did you do to Grandpa?'" according to the statement. "She stated (Parris) told her, 'Nothing.'"
The girl started crying and called 911, but her Parris hung up the phone when the operator asked to speak to him, according to the documents.
Parris' sister told detectives she noticed blood splatter on the front of Parris' shirt and blood smears on the front of his pants, according to the documents. Parris also had a bandage around his pinkie finger and a cut at the top of his right forearm.
Parris told detectives that he had been home all day, and nobody had come over to their home, according to the documents. When investigators tried to ask more questions, Parris said "he didn't remember" and that "he didn't want to talk about it."
Investigators said Parris admitted he placed the blanket over Morales' body because "he was dead and I didn't want to see him like that anymore," according to the documents. But when detectives asked how Parris knew Morales was dead, he refused to answer.
Officers then arrested Parris, and he was transported to the Harris County Jail, where he is being held on a $10,000 bond.
