Adoptee Kills Adoptive Father in Pennsylvania

“Douglas and Jillian [Dietz] adopted Clayton in 2018, according to court documents.

[David] Stuckey told News 8 that he only met the 11-year-old at one point in-person when he was much younger, as he left the country for nearly a decade and does not travel back often.

He said he and the Dietz family would video call two-to-three times a week, as he is studying in Mexico.

Stuckey is in a graduate MBA program, and received a undergraduate degree in Psychology Clinical mental health from Southern New Hampshire University, and tells News 8 that Clayton has autism, which escalated in 2025.

“My title to Clayton is Uncle David. If you ask him who I am, he’ll tell you I am Uncle David. We have a unique bond,” Stuckey said. “I will say it’s remarkable. The leap, in the red flags that we noted to the extreme of this event.”

“Early on Tuesday morning [January 13, 2026], 11-year-old Clayton William Dietz allegedly shot and killed 42-year-old Douglas Dietz, after court documents say Clayton went looking for his Nintendo Switch that was previously taken from him, but found the revolver he shot his father with instead.”

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Before the Shooting

“Stuckey says, at Doug and Jill’s request, he drafted a letter to the Susquenita School District asking to move Clayton to a behavioral education center, citing rising concerns about his behavior with fellow classmates.

“In the letter, I was speaking to the tune of the school violence that we’re seeing and that some of these subtle behaviors could eventually lead to a situation,” Stuckey said.

WGAL obtained the letter, dated Oct. 9, 2025, which details events dating back to May of last year involving interactions between Clayton and other classmates. It also describes how many times parents and others asked the district to move Clayton.

In June [2025], the letter says Clayton made an inappropriate sexual comment to a male student. In October [2025], the letter says he made another sexual comment that they deemed inappropriate to a female student.

The letter reveals Douglas and Jillian spoke with numerous school district employees about those incidents. Despite specialized education and interventions, the family said they never saw this coming.

“The two loved each other. They had a great father-son bond. It’s picturesque,” Stuckey said. “Jill was proactively trying to make sure that her son was held accountable. But given the treatment that he needs.”

“It’s shocking. It’s so cliché to say it’s very close to home, but it’s personal now for me,” Stuckey said.

We filed a right-to-know request with the Susquenita School District Thursday morning for communications between the Dietz family and administration, but responses can take time.”

Family friend: 11-year-old accused in Perry County death has autism, close bond with family
[WGAL 1/16/26 by AJ Sisson]

“According to the court documents, Douglas’ wife told police she was asleep when a loud noise woke her, and she smelled something similar to fireworks. She said she tried to nudge Douglas, but he didn’t move. She then heard what she thought was water dripping, but when she turned on the light, she realized it was blood, according to the documents.

Police said Clayton then entered the bedroom and shouted, “Daddy’s dead.” Troopers at the scene also said they heard Clayton tell his mother, “I killed Daddy.”

It happened on their son’s birthday, police say. According to the court documents, the couple went to bed shortly after midnight after singing happy birthday to Clayton.

Clayton told investigators that he had a good day with his parents. “When his dad told him he needed to go to bed, he got mad at him,” the documents stated.”

“When police asked Clayton what happened, he said, “I shot somebody,” according to the affidavit. “He admitted that he had someone in mind whom he was going to shoot, whom he identified as his father,” the documents said.

The wife told police there was a gun safe in the bedroom, but she denied knowing where the key was kept, according to investigators.

Clayton said he found the key in his father’s drawer and unlocked the safe in an attempt to find his Nintendo Switch, which was previously taken away from him, according to the documents.

Clayton admitted to “removing the gun from the safe, loading bullets into it and walking over to his father’s side of the bed,” the affidavit stated. “He pulled back the hammer and fired the gun at his father.”

When police asked Clayton what he thought would happen when he fired the gun, he said that “he was mad, and he had not thought about that,” investigators stated.”

“According to state police, Clayton was taken into custody and charged with criminal homicide.

Clayton was denied bail and is being held at the Perry County Prison, where a hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 22.”

‘I killed Daddy’: Pennsylvania boy, 11, shoots dad after Nintendo Switch taken away, courts docs say
[ABC 7 1/17/26 by Rachael Lardani & AJ Sisson]

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