The teenage girl who survived a Florida murder-suicide that claimed her mother’s life is now sharing what she remembers from the night violence erupted inside her home—an account that adds new, harrowing detail to a case authorities say began with a simple disagreement over television.
Speaking from a hospital bed, the 13-year-old—who asked not to be named, or have her face shown on camera—described watching a verbal argument between her mother, Crystal Kenney, and her stepfather, Jason Kenney, spiral into something far more dangerous on December 22.
According to the teen, the tension centered on what was playing on TV that night.
“She wouldn’t change the channel to football because she wanted to watch another episode of Percy Jackson,” the girl said in an interview with Inside Edition.
Investigators previously said Jason, 47, had been watching Monday Night Football earlier in the evening and came inside to see the final moments of the San Francisco 49ers–Indianapolis Colts game. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said alcohol played a role as the argument intensified.
As voices rose, Crystal told her 12-year-old son to get out of the house and call for help. The boy ran to a neighbor’s home. His sister stayed behind—and moments later witnessed her mother being shot.
After killing Crystal, the teen said the Florida man turned toward her and raised the gun.
“I begged him, ‘Don’t shoot me, don’t shoot me,’” she recalled.
He fired anyway, striking her in the shoulder and then in the face. Despite the severity of the injuries, she survived.
Judd later explained that the bullet entered near the bridge of her nose and exited through the top of her head without causing fatal damage—an outcome he described as extraordinary.
Inside the home at the time was the couple’s 1-year-old daughter, who was not injured and was later found asleep in her crib.
Following the shooting, Jason fled the scene, driving to his late father’s home in Lake Wales. During the drive, authorities say he called his sister and admitted he had done “something very, very bad,” telling her the next time she would hear about him would be “on the news.”
Deputies later located him in a shed on the property, where he died by suicide as officers attempted to make contact.
Investigators also found a handwritten note Crystal had written earlier, urging her husband to seek help and warning that his behavior—referencing drinking and cocaine use—was damaging the family.
The surviving children are now in the care of their maternal grandmother, and the 13-year-old continues to recover physically from her injuries.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or emotional distress, help is available. In the U.S., you can call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, for free, confidential support 24/7.