21-year-old charged with murdering his parents

On Friday, December 11, 21-year-old Ryan True appeared in Wareham District Court where he entered a plea of not guilty to two counts of murder.

Early Thursday morning, officers received a call stating that David True had not shown up for work and was not answering his cellphone all of which was very unusual for him.  The man, David's boss, expressed concern for David's well-being and requested officers to preform a welfare check at his residence.

When officers arrived to the residence at approximately 6:30, they found three vehicles parked in the drive way and the home locked up securely.  When attempts to gain the attention of anyone inside failed, Firefighters were called to the residence in order to open the door.

Middleborough Police Sgt. Simonne Ryder and Officer Wheldon Nelson were the first ones through the door.

“Sergeant Ryder observed reddish-brown marks on the wood floor in front of the first-floor bedroom and office,” the statement of facts said according to MassLive. “Sergeant Ryder believed these to be consistent with marks made from dragging something through what she believed to be blood.”

Officers soon found the bodies of 55-year-old Renee True and her husband, 52-year-old Ryan True in different rooms in the home.

"At this point, the house was cleared, and a crime scene was established," the court records indicated.

Officers learned from David's boss that Renee and David were living with their 21-year-old son.  Officers made contact with him and requested that he meet them at the residence.

"Sergeant Ryder kept a conversation going with Ryan as he drove," Massachusetts State Police Trooper Paul K. Rego wrote in his statement of facts.  "She told him that she was walking towards the end of the street to meet him and that she wanted to be safe and asked him if he had any weapons."  Rego indicated that he responded saying, "Yes, a knife," but claimed that he was not going to hurt anyone.

Once he arrived and parked the car, True is reported to have put his hands up and to have been taken into custody without incident.  A knife was reportedly recovered from his possession.

True is said to have told officers that he had gotten into an altercation with his father.  He claimed he took out his pocketknife in order to defend himself, and stabbed his father numerous times.

"Of note," Plymouth Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Beth Kusmin stated during the arraignment, "there were no indications that this is a case of self-defense."

He said that the only injuries found on True were wounds to his hand which appeared to be self-inflicted.  Kusmin explained that he had missed when trying to stab his father and instead, stabbed himself in the hand.

“Ryan True told us a short time later that his mother, Renee True, came in the house from outside and that he then also stabbed his mother,” Rego's statement of facts said.

After his arraignment, True was sent to the Bridgewarter State Hospital for a mental health evaluation.  Investigators were told that he has autism spectrum disorder.

He is due back in court on January 4, 2021.