A New York courtroom turned tense and emotional after a man accused of murdering his own son and girlfriend shocked everyone with his behavior during a guilty plea.
David Huff, 43, admitted to killing his 11-year-old son, Jeremiah Huff, and his girlfriend, 32-year-old Yeraldith Tschudy, in a brutal shooting inside a home in Syracuse in March 2025.
But it wasn’t just the crimes that stunned the courtroom—it was Huff’s reaction.
As Theodore H. Limpert read out the details of the killings, Huff reportedly smirked and laughed to himself. The judge paused the hearing and called him out directly.
“You find this funny?” Limpert asked.
Still chuckling, Huff responded, “No, no, it’s a joke stuck in my head… Go on.”
The disturbing exchange set the tone for the rest of the proceedings, with Huff appearing detached and almost indifferent as he admitted to the killings.
Prosecutors say Huff used a 12-gauge shotgun to kill both victims at close range inside his stepfather’s home on the night of March 17. When asked directly about the charges, his responses were blunt.
“Sure,” he said when asked if he killed Tschudy. “That’s what happened.”
At one point, he even pushed back on details surrounding his son’s death, denying that the boy had been shot in the head—despite prosecutors insisting that he was.
Judge Limpert made it clear Huff could go to trial if he disputed the facts. Huff declined.
“No, we’re not coming back,” he said. “I’m guilty of all that. Whatever you guys say I’m guilty of.”
The courtroom grew even more emotional when family members reacted to Huff’s behavior. His older son, who was not present during the killings, shouted from the gallery, telling him he was embarrassing himself and demanding he speak clearly.
Huff responded by telling him he loved him.
Prosecutors, however, made it clear they weren’t focused on Huff’s courtroom antics.
“I’m focused on the family. I’m focused on Jeremiah. I’m focused on Ms. Tschudy,” said Rob Moran. “I could care less what his reaction is.”
Investigators say the violence unfolded just after 9:30 p.m., when Huff opened fire inside the home, killing both victims and allegedly firing at his stepfather as well.
In the moments before the shooting, Jeremiah’s mother reportedly received a disturbing phone call from her son, prompting her to call 911. By the time officers arrived, Huff had fled.
Authorities launched an overnight manhunt. Prosecutors later revealed Huff had briefly hidden inside a nearby hospital before reappearing. He was arrested the next morning walking not far from the scene.
The case dragged on for months as Huff’s legal team explored a possible mental health defense. However, experts determined he was competent to stand trial, and any impairment was linked to voluntary drug or alcohol use—not a legal defense.
Huff ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, avoiding a potential first-degree conviction that could have led to life without parole.
He now faces a sentence of 40 years to life in prison.