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WARNING - DISTRESSING CONTENT: IN SEPTEMBER 2019, POLICE IN ELKMONT, ALABAMA, WERE CALLED TO A HOME IN THEIR COMMUNITY WHERE THEY MADE A HORRIFYING DISCOVERY KATY HALLAM, GAIL SHORTLAND and

ALISON GRAVES 17:25, 30 May 2025 Elkmont, a small town in Alabama with a mere 500 residents, was home to the quiet teenager Mason Sisk in 2019. The 14 year old resided with his father John,

38, and stepmother, Mary, 35, along with his three half-siblings: six year old brother Grayson (known as Kane), four year old sister Aurora (Rorrie), and baby Colson, who was just six months

old. John, a motorbike enthusiast, worked as a technician at a car dealership and had previously been a hair stylist. READ MORE Midlands prison guard stabbed by inmate who used knife

'dropped by drone' Mary, a special educational needs teacher, was naturally patient with youngsters. She was on the verge of starting her PhD. Sisk's biological mother had

passed away, and Mary had treated him as her own since he was four. Article continues below In her online teacher profile, Mary had written: "I'm happily married with a great

husband and four beautiful children.", reports the Mirror. She didn't differentiate between Sisk and her biological children. Sisk had recently begun exhibiting troublesome

behaviour, breaking into his school and causing damage. There were also whispers that he'd been harming animals with fire. However, he also looked after his siblings and, with his

dark-rimmed glasses and reserved nature, he was considered "nerdy" by his classmates. On 2 September, after a trip to Florida, the Sisk family were back home and tucked up in bed

early due to travel fatigue. But at around 11pm, a 911 call was made by Sisk from his residence reporting a shooting; he was found by responders waiting outside. He told them he'd been

in the basement playing video games when the sound of gunfire erupted, and upon investigating, he saw a car driving off. The question on everyone's lips: Who was behind the trigger?

Upon entering the home, police discovered John, Mary, Grayson, Aurora, and Colson all shot in the head, seemingly while they slept. John and Grayson were clinging to life but succumbed to

their injuries after being rushed to hospital; Mary, Aurora, and Colson were pronounced dead at the scene. The local constabulary were baffled as to why someone would target an entire family

in such a peaceful area as Elkmont. There's speculation about whether Sisk knew Mary was his stepmother or had only recently discovered she wasn't his biological mother before the

tragedy occurred. Amidst the horror, how did Sisk escape unharmed? An officer's bodycam caught him saying Sisk appeared "a little fishy to me". Sisk faced interrogation but

maintained his innocence despite accusations of lying about his involvement in the horrific event. Eventually, he altered his account of events. He admitted that it was indeed him who had

fired the gun. Sisk even aided the police in locating the murder weapon on the side of a road nearby where he had discarded it prior to their arrival. The firearm was a 9mm pistol he had

stolen while down in Florida. When pressed for why he did it, Sisk confessed he had become "fed up" with his family's constant arguing. His recorded words were: "Yeah,

they argue a lot and I got fed up with it," and further noted, "And the kids were going through a lot." Following his startling admission, he offered an apology to the

officers conducting the interrogation, saying, "I'm sorry I lied to y'all," in a composed manner. Detectives later claimed that Sisk had once spiked Mary's coffee

with peanut butter, knowing full well she was allergic to it, although they did not disclose how they came by that information. While awaiting his trial, the young man's probation

officer penned a report observing that Sisk displayed "no sign of remorse", nor had he spoken of his family at all during his time in custody. The idea that a 14 year old lad could

massacre his entire family just because he was "fed up", showing no regret thereafter, seemed nearly unfathomable. The victims were laid to rest in private ceremonies. They were

interred in four caskets, with the infant Colson nestled in his mother's embrace. Some relatives from Mary's side had never even seen the tiny tot before his tragic end. Because

Sisk was only 14 years old at the time of the killings, he wasn't eligible for the death penalty; however, he was tried as an adult due to the gravity of the crime. The initial trial

began in 2022 but faced a mistrial when the FBI managed to unlock Mary's mobile phone, giving lawyers time to review the newfound evidence. The second trial resumed this year, with the

prosecution arguing that Sisk had issues controlling his anger and that the murders were premeditated. It was suggested there was friction between Sisk and his father, which escalated to him

directing his rage towards his entire family. Sisk, who had a girlfriend while incarcerated, sent her unsettling messages from prison, some of which were read aloud in court. "I am

good with a gun - I killed my family in less than four seconds. All head shots," one message revealed. He also expressed to her his aspiration to become a contract killer. The

prosecution highlighted that Sisk made four calls to his girlfriend before dialling 911 on the night of the murders. The jury was informed that each family member was shot once, except for

six-month-old Colson, who was shot twice and died in his mother's embrace. In April, Sisk was found guilty on four counts of capital murder. Following his conviction, impactful

statements were delivered three months later. Douglas Prater, Mary's brother, recalled how they had embraced Sisk into their family from a young age and that he had become a fixture in

all their family photos. "We haven't been able to rest for years because of what you did," he expressed. "You were accepted into our family. A whole family has been lost.

I lost my sister Mary. She loved you and you killed her." Fast forward to September 2023, 18 year old Sisk was sentenced to life imprisonment without chance of parole. The judge saw no

indicators of mental illness and spoke of the killings as "ghastly, disturbing and draped in unmitigated evil". He stressed that the sentence reflected the gravest penalty

available. Following the court's decision, a statement was issued from the prosecution. District Attorney Brian CT Jones shared his prosecutorial experiences, stating: "I've

prosecuted a lot of people in my career and I can tell you that out of all of those people, only four out of five people scare the hell out of me and he's at the top of my list."

Article continues below Sisk remained impassive upon hearing the verdict. He continued to exhibit no regret for the ruthless execution of his family members. His defence team announced

intentions to appeal the judgment citing that their client was "coerced" into a confession and merely echoed back what police had suggested during questioning. Meanwhile, the quiet

lad who stunned Elkmont remains tight-lipped about his heinous actions as he braces himself for a lifetime behind bars.