Joey, The 10-Year-Old Killer...

What this episode is about

The case of Joey McVey, a 10-year-old boy who fatally shot his mother, raises troubling questions about the circumstances and motivations behind such a tragic act. Following a seemingly minor argument, Joey utilized a .22 caliber firearm, leading to a profound investigation that uncovered a complex family dynamic and a chilling scene as responders discovered his mother's lifeless body.

Key takeaways

• A 10-year-old's impulse turned deadly: a tragic reminder of unchecked emotions and accessibility to firearms.
• In families where guns are commonplace, a child's innocence can quickly become weaponized in moments of anger.
• Trivial disagreements can escalate into horrific consequences; dialogue is more critical than ever in family dynamics.
• The chilling aftermath of childhood trauma: a young boy's smirk hints at a deeper psychological distress.
• When guns become part of daily life, the line between safety and danger blurs, creating a ticking time bomb.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Joey McVey (Guest) · 5 min speaking
• Shauna McVey (Guest) · 3 min speaking
• Grandma McVey (Guest) · 2 min speaking
• Joey's Lawyer · 2 min speaking
• Holmes County Assistant Prosecutor Shawn Warner · 2 min speaking
• Judge Thomas Lee · 1 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Joey McVey, Holmes County
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Grandma McVey, Deborah McVey
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Joey McVey, Grandma McVey
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Michael McVey
5. 12:00 – 15:00: Holmes County, Shauna McVey, Tom Marshall Lee, Jerry Hartman
6. 15:00 – 16:01: Joey McVey, Deborah McVey, Tom Marshall Lee

Notable quotes from "Joey, The 10-Year-Old Killer..."

• House his mom's up there he shot his mom with a 22 jry what's your last name it's JY mday on January 2nd 2011 Joey mcfay went to a neighbor's house called 911 and told the…

  about Joey McVey · at 0:52

• So much screaming going WR she heard the unmistakable sounds of an argument voices raised in Conflict Grandma McVey then heard the commotion turn into something far more…

  about Grandma McVey · at 4:44

• His lawyer's opinion Joey couldn't handle it anymore and just lost control Deborah and her husband Michael mcy had separated only a few weeks before the shooting it is said…

  about Michael McVey · at 9:01

• In favor of him remaining in a youth prison system until he was an adult as was Joey's sister shaa requested the judge to impose the harshest sentence possible according to her…

  about Shauna McVey · at 13:11

• Difficult to proved that he pointed the firearm at his mother he shot her and she died in 2013 Holmes County Juvenile Court Judge Thomas Lee stated that if Joey didn't get into…

  about Holmes County · at 14:28

• Whereabouts are unclear but he's likely left the prison system and has reintegrated into Society Deborah McVey was buried in a private ceremony attended by her many family…

  about Deborah McVey · at 15:22

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Joey McVey — Person · Primary subject (juvenile offender in case narrative) · 5 mentions · first at 0:03
  Central figure of the episode; a 10-year-old who confessed to shooting his mother, driving the investigation, legal proceedings, and later treatment/probation outcomes.
• Deborah McVey — Person · Victim (mother of primary subject) · 3 mentions · first at 3:24
  Homicide victim whose death is the focal event; her relationship dynamics, alleged household conflict, and separation from her husband are key to motive discussions.
• Shauna McVey — Person · Key witness (sister) and sentencing advocate · 1 mention · first at 13:26
  Provides the main eyewitness account of the shooting and later urges the court to impose the harshest sentence, shaping the narrative around motive and danger.
• Tom Marshall Lee — Person · Presiding juvenile court judge (sentencing/probation decisions) · 2 mentions · first at 14:33
  Issues key rulings about Joey's progress/competency trajectory and later conditions (probation/treatment facility), influencing the case outcome.
  Difficult to proved that he pointed the firearm at his mother he shot her and she died in 2013 Holmes County Juvenile Court Judge Thomas Lee stated that if Joey didn't get into…
• Grandma McVey — Person · Family member (grandmother) and indirect earwitness via phone call · 3 mentions · first at 4:28
  Was on the phone with Deborah immediately before/during the argument; her account supports the timeline and intensity of the conflict preceding the shooting.
• Michael McVey — Person · Father (family context source) and spouse of victim (separated) · 1 mention · first at 9:22
  Provides background on household conflict and discipline; his separation from Deborah is presented as a stressor linked to Joey's escalating behavior.
• Jerry Hartman — Person · Referenced clinician/therapist commenting on progress · 1 mention · first at 14:48
  Quoted as Joey's therapist describing 'impressive progress' during treatment, contributing to the episode's update on Joey's later status.
  Treatment facility where he had been serving his time so where is little Joey now 10 years later Joey's therapist Jerry Hartman is quoted saying he has made impressive progress…

Places & events

• Holmes County — Place · Setting · 3 mentions · first at 1:07
  The location where the tragic event involving Joey McVey took place, providing context for the case.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:03 sh this is Joey McVey moments after taking the life of his own mother what happened JY I got my mom okay what could push a 10-year-old boy to murder his own family what kind of gun did you have 22 a 22 rifle handgun or what notice how the adults around Joey aren't panicking why does there seem to be a sense of relief in the room these were the thoughts of the officers on scene and soon the investigation that followed would uncover the truth behind this unfathomable case shot your mom yeah okay the little boy shot his mom I have the little boy here down at my house his mom's up there he shot his mom with a 22 jry what's your last name it's JY mday on January 2nd 2011 Joey mcfay went to a neighbor's house called 911 and told the dispatcher that he had shot his mother in their home in rural Holmes County Ohio when police responded to the 911 call they found the lifeless body of Deborah mcy she lay face down on her

1:19 living room floor with a single gunshot wound to the head so where did you get the gun from my room your room yeah okay what kind of gun did you have 22 a 22 rifle handgun or what okay Joey now unarmed and not posing any immediate threat informed the officers that he had placed the gun on his bed the evidence was clear but the motive was incomprehensible a 22 caliber firearm a troubled child and a mother taken too soon what happened here Joey's 15-year-old sister Sean claim to have witnessed her brother shoot their mother when we got home he was supposed to bring and he get your mom ass over and over so he brought like one Lo in and Mom asked him to BR okay but then he started arguing when he shot her she just like dropped to the ground and she was like sort of sitting like on the couch she was like leaning up against the arm and then she just fell and then he pointed at me I told not she just to

2:30 check on Mom and I want to put the gun down first and he put it on the couch according to her testimony the day began with what seemed like a trivial disagreement Joey didn't want to tag along with his mother and Shauna to the laundromat which sparked an argument between the young boy and his mother this argument continued later at home centered again around chores as tensions escalated Joey left the house slamming the door behind him when he returned later still angry he confronted his mother about who she was talking to on the phone according to Shauna their mother refused to speak to Joy as he screamed at her his mother's refusal to answer him only fueled his rage Joy retreated to his bedroom only to reemerge about 10 minutes later a 22 caliber rifle in hand jna was forced to watch her brother confront their mother she begged him not to shoot but in a moment of unspeakable horror Joey killed

3:27 Deborah mcfay I heard they shot and then Mom she just looked at me and fell to the ground then in a moment that would haunt her Joey pointed the gun at his sister he assured her he wouldn't shoot but his next actions were cold he allegedly looked down at their mother smirked and Shrugged his shoulders before leaving the house he was yelling and scream scaming all like confused and stuff what happened did you feel that he was going to shoot you yes cuz after he shot mom I was scared when he looked at me he looked like he was like evil like the look in his eyes when he looked at me I was like scared according to Grandma MC she was the one who had been on the phone with Joey's mother that night unbeknownst to her this call would become a crucial piece in the unfolding drama and I'm Grandma MC and Debbie was on the phone talking to me just prior to this and I don't know she was on sending the Dr and

4:39 saying all this to him and then I heard so much screaming going WR she heard the unmistakable sounds of an argument voices raised in Conflict Grandma McVey then heard the commotion turn into something far more Sinister in these moments she was connected to the scene by voice alone unaware that she was hearing the last moments of her daughter-in-law's

5:14 life in the aftermath of the tragedy police made a startling Discovery inside Joey's bedroom they found not one but six Firearms including the rifle used in the fatal shooting the house was scattered with numerous other guns easily accessible to all the children our country family with guns and stuff around the house it's just part of our family and it come back on us the McVey family who lived a country lifestyle and enjoyed hunting saw these guns as a regular part of their life relatives told the media that Joy would often practice shooting with BB guns and he seemed to be responsible with Firearms they believed it was just how f families like theirs lived but this explanation didn't sit right with the authorities authorities worried that having so many guns openly displayed in the house especially where kids could get them was really dangerous the situation was a recipe for disaster especially in an

6:16 unhappy house after Joy was arrested he had to answer a lot of tough questions from the police look right you to the point where you felt you should go in the bedroom and get the gun don't know did she scream or no have you ever been that mad before yeah yeah in a small room Joey sat facing police officers who were trying really hard to understand how a 10-year-old could do something so serious but he didn't seem to understand a lot about the situation he was in what's the um whatever I can't even think was called um like what is it called where you they're going taking no the turning whatever guy like helped you stuff yeah that's I don't know what they can help you regardless whether you talk to me or not we don't expect you to know Joey how old are you 10 you're 10 years old you know I'm not going to treat you like an adult like you know everything that's basically why we're taking longer to see

7:20 if you want to sign this or not he seemed to think that at some point he would get to go home with his grandma McVey are you all right buddy I mean I know I know you're not okay you know what I'm saying but as much as to be expected I guess I just want to get a better feel on what happened and you know maybe why it happened I told all the other people that ask me okay I didn't know anyone else even ask you any questions one of the cople whatever ask me but is there any way I could like how long do you think it would take until I could like be with her once Joey was lawyered up detectives working on the case began to find new information these details started to paint Joey In a Different Light than the account from his sister to others Joey's background only supported their idea of him being a coldblooded killer before the incident Joey McVey had some troubles especially at school in 2006 Joey had a rough day

8:16 on the school bus he wasn't behaving and allegedly the driver pulled over grabbed him by the jacket and sat him down his mom was so upset about how the driver handled it that she called the police but nothing much came of it and no one got in trouble then in 2007 when Joey was just six he got violent at school he had gotten into trouble in class and his principal took him for a timeout Joey got really upset and hit the principal with a dust pan it was remarked that he experienced episodes where he would strike out at others in Anger when provoked Joey mcvey's lawyer said that the boy grew up in a tough home where things weren't easy it seemed that Joey's mom would often yell a lot and in his lawyer's opinion Joey couldn't handle it anymore and just lost control Deborah and her husband Michael mcy had separated only a few weeks before the shooting it is said that their separation intensified Joey's angry

9:16 outbursts and he started displaying more behavioral problems saying de would have two sides everybody does Joey's father shared an abusive description of Deborah everyone know I was out there yesterday and was talking to you and we were talking about uh discipline with the kids I know when I asked you about discipline you said that you you always heard her yelling and screaming at the kids did you ever see her strike the kids at all no yeah I didn't saw her six years ago she got her Josh the big Josh I had to get her off of not time is that Josh Mike yeah she had him in the corner and flap the [ __ ] out I mean she had anger issues B you know I mean this is really hard to say stuff about her that other people are going to think I'm saying mean she was mean and he wasn't the only one they were close but they argu she she yelled at him too much we were like normal mom and daughter we' have our plights here and there but it

10:24 wasn't bad as Joey and Joey mom argued a lot a lot his lawyer felt really sorry for Joey this wasn't a physical abuse situation Joey was beaten down every day to the point that was life as he knew it Hy told the court he was told that night his mother wanted him gone she never wanted to see him again and that he was a worthless piece of [ __ ] what happened today in particular while you got some man I like she calls me lazy I hate what she calls me lazy because I only one bring fire on Bo my dad was there mhm I do a lot of things but no I'm lazy one so you do your chores around the house and today a piece of wood hit me right the shoulder and she's like okay well just go get some wood is that what it started over you're supposed to carry wood in and didn't guess yeah I can't remember in his lawyer's view Joey was just a kid that had to deal with many hard things he made a wrong choice in a moment and now

11:30 it was going to change his whole life but his lawyer hoped for something different he wanted Joey to go somewhere where he could get help like a treatment facility where he had access to therapy how do you feel now that things are the way they are you feel bad that it happened that you actually shot her yeah do you think it was worth it even though you were mad no should anyone be shot or die over an argument no two psychologists tested Jo to see if he was fit to stand trial and they both agreed that he was not competent they discovered that he had been suffering from depression and anxiety and also had a learning disability so the 10-year-old was sent to a treatment facility where he could learn and grow in peace a year later things changed a judge looked at Joey's situation again and made a big decision Lee wrote in his ruling the court sees a young man who has made significant progress in many areas of life as

12:29 evidenced by his increased Global assessment of functioning scores from 55 to 75 mcvey's attorney said he was surprised by the ruling that seemed to contradict the opinion of three experts who had varying degrees of interaction with McVey in the two years since the incident I'm worried about how Joey will react to the evidence against him I don't know if he will be able to sit through the evidence in a murder trial including autopsy photos Hyde said this may be the first time I asked that my client not be in the courtroom for presentation of some of the evidence Joey was transported to the Richland County Juvenile Justice Center where he was charged with murder prosecutors were in favor of him remaining in a youth prison system until he was an adult as was Joey's sister shaa requested the judge to impose the harshest sentence possible according to her account Joey didn't kill his mother to end ongoing

13:26 abuse via a victim advocate Shauna described Joey as a dangerous child who murdered Deborah because she stood in his way Holmes County assistant prosecutor Shawn Warner also asked for the most severe sanction Deb McVey did not threaten him with violence Warner said he is not an abused child he is an admitted juvenile delinquent Joey ultimately pleaded guilty to charges in exchange for a plead deal as part of the plead deal Joey waved his right to a trial and to challenge any witness in the case he would would also be in custody until he was 21 years old since Joey had already confessed to killing Deborah his attorney said it was the best option as he didn't need to go through weeks of reliving the incident and looking at photographs and autopsies the prosecutor was quoted saying the issue is what to do with him this case was never about what he did it was about what we were going to do with him as a

14:23 10-year-old I think everyone came to the realization that it was not going to be difficult to proved that he pointed the firearm at his mother he shot her and she died in 2013 Holmes County Juvenile Court Judge Thomas Lee stated that if Joey didn't get into any trouble he could remain on probation at the treatment facility where he had been serving his time so where is little Joey now 10 years later Joey's therapist Jerry Hartman is quoted saying he has made impressive progress while he was in the treatment facility as we now examine this case in 2024 Joey is over 21 so it's safe to assume that he was released from detention the judge had ordered that Joy remain in the treatment facility until he could contribute to society successfully regardless of his past he's going to be behind us in Walmart or at the gas station one day judge Lee said Joey mcvey's current whereabouts are unclear but he's likely

15:25 left the prison system and has reintegrated into Society Deborah McVey was buried in a private ceremony attended by her many family members and loved ones Deb loved cooking camping swimming and spending time with her family in addition to her husband she left behind three children three stepchildren and two grandchildren rest in peace Deborah McVey thanks for tuning in to Twisted Minds that was the case of Joey McVey and why don't you go ahead and click on one of the two videos on your screen for another one of our videos

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Joey, The 10-Year-Old Killer..."?

Joey McVey (Guest), Shauna McVey (Guest), Grandma McVey (Guest), Joey's Lawyer, Holmes County Assistant Prosecutor Shawn Warner, Judge Thomas Lee.

What is "Joey, The 10-Year-Old Killer..." about?

The case of Joey McVey, a 10-year-old boy who fatally shot his mother, raises troubling questions about the circumstances and motivations behind such a tragic act. Following a seemingly minor argument, Joey utilized a .22 caliber firearm, leading to a profound investigation that uncovered a complex family dynamic and a chilling scene as responders discovered his mother's lifeless body.

What is mentioned in this Twisted Minds episode?

8 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Joey McVey, Deborah McVey, Holmes County, Shauna McVey, Tom Marshall Lee, Grandma McVey. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Joey, The 10-Year-Old Killer..."?

The episode runs 16 min; the transcript is about 2,626 words in 16 timestamped sections.

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