The Anthony Templet Case — Louisiana Teen Who Killed His Father

The Case

The Anthony Templet case is a Louisiana homicide in which a 17-year-old shot and killed his father Burt Templet inside the family home near White Oak in East Baton Rouge Parish on June 3, 2019. Initially indicted for second-degree murder, Anthony Templet ultimately pleaded to the lesser charge of negligent homicide and was sentenced to five years' supervised probation in March 2021 after prosecutors learned more about the abusive and controlling home life he had endured.

The Crime

In the early morning hours of June 3, 2019, between roughly 3:00 and 3:30 a.m., an argument inside the Templet household escalated into deadly violence. According to reporting, Anthony shot his father Burt three times during the confrontation. Immediately afterward, Anthony called 911 — a recording that would later become one of the most discussed pieces of evidence in the case. In statements consistent with the audio, he indicated that he had tried to shoot his father in the head and was unsure whether Burt had died.

Law enforcement responded to the residence near White Oak in East Baton Rouge Parish and arrested Anthony at the scene. He cooperated with investigators, and the 911 call, his on-scene statements, and the physical evidence inside the home formed the core of the initial prosecution.

The Victims

The sole victim was Burt Templet, Anthony's father. Public reporting from the criminal proceedings and later documentary coverage portrayed Burt as a controlling figure within the household. Family members and people familiar with the situation later told investigators and journalists that Anthony had been kept isolated from much of his extended family for years, with limited access to the outside world. Those allegations of long-term abuse and isolation became central to how the case was ultimately resolved.

Investigation

Because Anthony called 911 himself and was taken into custody at the scene, the investigation was less about identifying a suspect than about understanding what had led to the shooting. Detectives examined the home, reviewed Anthony's statements, and gradually built a picture of the family dynamic. Interviews with relatives — including family members who said they had been cut off from Anthony for years — supported claims of a coercive and abusive environment.

The East Baton Rouge District Attorney's office reviewed this material as the case moved toward indictment. While prosecutors initially pursued a second-degree murder charge, the mitigating evidence of abuse and isolation reshaped the trajectory of the prosecution.

Trial and Verdict

Rather than proceed to trial on the murder indictment, the District Attorney's office agreed to a plea agreement. In March 2021, Anthony Templet pleaded guilty to negligent homicide and was sentenced in East Baton Rouge Parish court to five years of supervised probation. The outcome was unusually lenient for a homicide case and reflected what prosecutors described as the weight of the abuse evidence and the unusual circumstances of Anthony's upbringing.

The decision drew both sympathy and scrutiny. Supporters viewed the resolution as a recognition that Anthony had been a long-term victim before becoming an offender, while critics argued that a fatal shooting warranted a stricter penalty regardless of the home environment.

Today

The criminal case stemming from Burt Templet's death is closed. However, Anthony Templet has remained in the public eye, in part because of later legal issues. Reporting from local outlets has documented subsequent arrests on unrelated charges and questions about his compliance with the terms of his probation.

The case reached a global audience through the three-part Netflix documentary I Just Killed My Dad, released in 2022, which examined the family history, the 911 call, and the legal aftermath. The case has also been explored in true-crime podcasts and video features, and continues to be referenced in discussions about juvenile offenders, domestic abuse defenses, and prosecutorial discretion in homicide cases involving long-term family violence.