Buried in the Backyard is investigating the death and dismemberment of James “Skip” Scandirito, who died in very suspicious circumstances at his home in Boca Raton, Florida.
His son, James “Jimmy” Scandirito, was charged with his murder but was found not guilty; however, he was convicted of cutting up and disposing of his dad’s remains.
Skip, a 74-year-old former judge in Macomb County, Michigan, had retired to Boca Raton. Following the death of his wife, Skip remained close to his only son, Jimmy, who was a bit of a playboy. The younger Scandirito liked fast cars, Latina women, narcotics, and living beyond his means.
On March 28, 2018, Skip passed away at his home. Jimmy would later tell the cops that he had been enjoying an evening of drinking and snorting cocaine with his dad when he popped out for a cigarette; he said he came back to find his dad slumped over the cocaine and assumed he’d overdosed.
Rather than dial 911, Jimmy decided to cover up the death; he later claimed he was high on drugs and wasn’t thinking straight. Over the next couple of days, Jimmy visited Home Depot, where he picked up the tools needed to dispose of Skip’s remains.
He attached Skip to a dolly trolley and wheeled him into the garage, where he used a handsaw to carve him up, which included removing the head and limbs. Jimmy stuffed the body parts into garbage bags and then suitcases.
Jimmy Scandirito hid his father Skip Scandirito’s remains around Boca Raton
The twisted son then buried most of the body parts on an abandoned golf course. He claimed he threw other parts onto a construction site. A lot of the body parts, including the head, were never found, which meant a cause of death was never determined.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelJimmy reported his dad missing a few days later, but the police didn’t believe him when he said Skip had gone off on a trip with a Latina woman. The cops put him under surveillance and followed him to the golf course, where they saw him retrieve a suitcase and fling it into a dumpster. The case contained body parts.
The cops suspected Jimmy killed Skip to inherit his estate of approximately $800,000, but the prosecution could not convince a jury that Jimmy actually murdered his father.
The coroner couldn’t find any evidence of cocaine in Skip’s system, which countered Jimmy’s claim of an overdose. However, there was no clear evidence that a murder had occurred.
Jimmy Scandirito imprisoned for 15 years for cutting up Skip Scandirito remains
A jury acquitted Jimmy of murder but convicted him of abuse of a corpse. Judge John Kastrenakes sentenced him to the maximum allowed, 15 years.
Jimmy’s legal team had requested probation and drug rehabilitation for their client. Judge Kastrenakes refused the request, stating, “It was a sophisticated cover-up. This is not a case that merits probation. … It’s really, really very sad that Mr. Scandirito would do this to his own father.” The judge called Jimmy “despicable.”
Buried in the Backyard re-airs Friday at 8/7c on Oxygen.