New York Father Laughs During Hearing After Admitting to Killing Son and Girlfriend

A New York father has pleaded guilty to shooting his girlfriend and his 11-year-old son with a shotgun. During his hearing, he shocked the court by smiling and smirking while charges against him were being read aloud.

David Huff, 43, admitted to murdering his son, Jeremiah Huff, and girlfriend, Yeraldith Tschudy, 32. The shooting took place inside a Syracuse-area home on March 17, 2025. During the hearing, he was smiling, prompting a confrontation from the judge in Onondaga County Court, where the disturbing scene took place.

Judge Theodore H. Limpert asked Huff if he found it all funny. Huff replied while still laughing, “No, no, it’s a joke stuck in my head… Go on.”

From the beginning of the hearing, Huff seemed detached from the tragedy and did not seem apologetic for his crimes.

According to prosecutors, Huff killed both victims at close range using a 12-gauge shotgun inside his stepfather’s home on Roney Road. When he was questioned about the charges, Huff gave blunt responses.

When he was asked if he killed Tschudy, he said, “Sure. That’s what happened.”

When the prosecutor was going through the details of the murder, Huff interrupted and disputed claims about his son's death. This included rejecting claims that his son was shot multiple times, including in the head.

“Jeremiah was not shot in the head by any means,” he said, though prosecutors maintained that claim.

When Huff disputed more facts, the judge gave him the option of moving forward with the trial, which he rejected completely. He said, ““No, we’re not coming back, I’m guilty of all that. Whatever you guys say I’m guilty of.

Members of the victims’ families were present in court and could not contain their despair as they reacted from the gallery. Huff’s eldest son, who was not present at the time of the murders, shouted at his father, saying, “You’re f***ing embarrassing yourself. Just speak!”

However, Huff maintained a nonchalant appearance as he turned to his elder son and said that he loved him.

While some people were concerned with Huff’s behavior in court, Onondaga County prosecutor Rob Moran rejected any notion of mental health issues. He said, ““I’m focused on the family. I’m focused on Jeremiah. I’m focused on Ms. Tschudy,” Moran claimed when talking to the local outlet CNY Central. “I could care less what his reaction to any of this is,” he added.

Moran emphasized the brutality of the crime and maintained the prosecution’s position that Jeremiah was shot in the head. However, he agreed that Huff might be struggling with reality. According to court documents, the attack happened after 9:30 p.m. on March 17, when Huff opened fire at his family, including his stepfather.

Before the attack, Jeremiah had called his mother, who asked him to dial 911 and call the police. However, Huff had fled before officers arrived at the location.

Huff was arrested the next morning at 9:30 a.m. on West Seneca Turnpike, close to the crime scene.

Huff pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and could get up to 40 years in prison.