Killing of Scott Graves by his father Chad Graves examined on Married to Evil

ID is re-airing the Married to Evil investigation into the killing of Joel “Scott” Graves by his own father, Joel “Chad” Graves, at the latter’s apartment in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Chad Graves had a long string of accusations of domestic abuse against former wives and his five children. His ex-wife and Scott’s mother, Jessica Jaramillo, claimed that 20-year-old Scott was the only one of Graves’s children who hadn’t cut him off.

On August 16, 2018, Graves rewarded his son’s loyalty by killing him with a shotgun blast to the neck. Graves dialed 911, and when the Hattiesburg PD arrived, they found him standing outside his apartment with blood on his head and hands.

Graves told the officers that he had been arguing with his son, who had allegedly hit him on the head. He claimed the pair had struggled over the shotgun, and the weapon had discharged accidentally.

The cops found Scott’s body lying inside with the shotgun propped up against a nearby wall. The distribution of pellets from the shotgun blast suggested Graves might not have been telling the whole truth. He was charged with second-degree murder.

Chad Graves claimed self-defense and blamed PTSD after killing Scott Graves

Graves admitted to shooting his son but claimed it was self-defense. His legal team also questioned if he was mentally competent to stand trial due to suffering from post-traumatic syndrome due to his military service.

In March 2022, Graves accepted a deal from the prosecution; he pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He received the maximum sentence of 20 years and a $10,000 fine.

Graves was given credit for time served in Forrest County jail, where he had been incarcerated since shortly after the shooting. He is currently held at the Walnut Grove Correctional Facility, MS.

At the sentencing, Jaramillo told the court, “Scott loved his daddy. He always forgave him. I know Scott will have forgiven his daddy for shooting him. I know that Scott wants me to forgive Chad, as one day, I will forgive him so I could be with my boy.”

Joel ‘Chad’ Graves had multiple accusations of child abuse prior to killing Scott Graves

Graves had a long history of violence against women and children. These accusations included kneeing a son in the face and attempting to push his 12-year-old daughter out of a moving vehicle. He was also accused of regularly pistol-whipping and beating his children.

The killer remained on active duty with the Army despite his mental health concerns and the accusations of domestic violence.

This episode of Married to Evil airs Thursday at 7/6c on Investigation Discovery.