17-year-old John Granat began showing signs of violent behavior early last year, when his parents discarded the teen’s stash of marijuana. Granat’s close Friends new his intentions; the teen routinely made threats against his parents after they had disposed of his weed. Unfortunately, nobody contacted the police.
The tragic call came into the sheriff’s office at approximately 7:00 a.m. on Sunday morning. The teen summoned police to his parent’s mansion in Palos Park, a wealthy Chicago suburb. When police arrived, they found the bodies of John Granat Sr., aged 44, and his wife, Maria, 42, dead in their bedroom.
John Sr. was bludgeoned to death and Maria, in addition to being bludgeoned, was stabbed multiple times. John Granat Jr. was arrested for the slayings.
When John Jr. made the call to Police he claimed intruders had robbed and murdered his parents. But like any good psychopath, Grenut Jr. changed his story and told police a friend needed money, so he had given the individual permission to enter the home. That story, like the one before, fell apart when detectives began interviewing friends and found that Jr. had repeatedly threatened to kill his parents in the past.
John Jr. was a student at Stagg High School in Palos Hiss. His father was a successful contractor who neighbors described as “loving and friendly.” The family was described as ideal; Linda Falkenburg, who lived behind the Granats, told the Chicago Tribune, “They were the sweetest, most perfect family. I feel like I just lost a family member. I can’t imagine why anyone would do something like this.”
Granat Jr is currently awaiting trial for double-homicide; the judge has denied the youth bail.
