Hallowell, 19, sentenced to life in slaying of adoptive mother
Hallowell made a statement in court, partially directed to his deceased mother, apologizing for what he'd done to her and throughout his life, stating that he missed her and loved her.
"CCSO Major Crimes detectives worked quickly to solve this shocking case," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "Here, we had a mother who was brutally murdered in her bedroom, during the night, by her son. All the forensic evidence and interviews pointed to the only other person inside Denise's home that night, her own son."
Carlos Hallowell, then 17 years of age, was arrested on Sept. 16, 2019, and was initially in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice in Ocala, FL. After prosecutors presented evidence to a grand jury on Oct. 4, 2019, he was indicted on charges of premeditated murder, and it was determined that he would be tried as an adult. Due to being a minor at the time he committed the crime, Hallowell was not eligible for the death penalty. After serving 25 years, he will be eligible for a sentence review.
It was brought out in court that Hallowell was adopted in Guatemala at the age of four, and he was a happy child who performed well in sports and at school until the age of eleven, when he began using illicit drugs and alcohol. When Ms. Hallowell learned in May 2019 that her son had been expelled from school in Jan. 2019, she imposed restrictions on his activities. Judge Howard said Hallowell's actions were premeditated, with the intent of acquiring his mother's property. He said that Hallowell has anti-social personality disorder and meets 16 of 20 criteria for being a psychopath, and he could not be reformed.