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Winter Haven man calls 911, confesses to killing father: PCSO

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Posted at 6:51 AM, Aug 01, 2022
and last updated 2022-08-02 05:43:54-04

The Polk County Sheriff's Office said a man from Winter Haven is facing a murder charge after he called 911 and confessed to killing his father.

PCSO said Kyle Raemisch, 21, called 911 around 10:18 a.m. on Sunday morning and confessed to the deadly shooting.

Authorities said Raemisch and the victim, Christopher Raemisch, 52, lived in the same home. The victim's identity was released after the family provided PCSO with permission.

Polk county Sheriff Grady Judd said the 21-year-old suffers from schizophrenia.

"Kyle had been Baker Acted several occasions before, and he was prescribed medication. And when we did our search of the house, we found that he was underutilizing his medication," he said.

Raemisch told authorities he shot the victim "because of the money" and said he had been "held hostage for far too long," according to an affidavit. When asked how many times he shot the victim, the sheriff's office said Raemisch responded, "too many times."

In an excerpt of the 911 call provided by PCSO, Raemisch told the dispatcher his dad was trying to kill him "with money" before he later said, "he's dead now," and admitted to the shooting.

"His history tells us when he doesn't take his medication, he has episodes where he thinks people are trying to kill him, specifically his dad being one of them," said Judd. "Some of the family told us they were afraid this would be the ultimate outcome, that he would hurt someone."

In addition to the suspect calling 911, a neighbor called around the same time and said Raemisch was shooting a gun in a garage, the sheriff's office said. While on that call, the witness said he saw the victim dead in the garage.

In an excerpt from that 911 call, the neighbor said he heard at least nine, "maybe 10" shots.

The sheriff's office said the victim was "obviously deceased" in the garage when deputies got to the scene. In total, deputies found 15 spent shell casings at the scene.

The sheriff's office said deputies found a black Sig Sauer 9MM semi-automatic handgun on a shelf directly across from the inside garage door. Bullets holes were found in the garage door and a surfboard, both of which were directly behind the victim's body, PCSO said.

In a Facebook video on Sunday, Sheriff Grady Judd said Raemisch was going to prison for a "very long time" for the killing.

Clara Reynolds with Crisis Center Tampa Bay said nationally, about 20% of people are struggling with a mental health issue; 10% are struggling with a severe mental health issue. Reynolds said Crisis Center Tampa Bay touches about 170,000 people of varying needs per year.

"Here in Hillsborough County, we know 60% of the time, the calls to 911 are for somebody who's in behavioral health crisis," she said.

Reynolds said they continue to encourage people to use 988 or 211 if they're in need. That includes loved ones searching for a way to help

"Any changes in patterns, anything that in your gut tells you this isn't right, that's the time to reach out and ask for help."

Sheriff Judd said regardless of mental illness, Raemisch will still go through the judicial system.

"If you don't take your medication appropriately, when you don't go to your counselors appropriately, then horrible things can happen. And the worst thing happened on this particular occasion."