Man tries killing family to get them into heaven, FL cops say. They fight back

A 73-year-old man’s grisly plan to kill his family — and his dog — so they could get into heaven came unraveled when they fought back, according to investigators in the Florida Panhandle.

Allison Hatton tried to carry out the plot just before 7 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, at a home in Crawfordville, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office said.

“A 69-year-old relative of Mr. Hatton was awoken by him repeatedly stabbing her in the chest and neck with a kitchen knife. Mr. Hatton was interrupted by a second adult relative, who managed to get the knife away from him,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

“Hatton then retrieved a second knife and threatened to kill the second adult relative if she didn’t allow him to slay his initial victim. Mr. Hatton then stabbed himself in the throat.”

Deputies arrived, and Hatton and his victim were taken to a hospital, officials said. Both are expected to survive.

When questioned, Hatton explained “he intended to kill the 69-year-old, the other adult relative, his dog, and then himself,” the sheriff’s office said.

The motive, he said, was “trying to get ’em up to heaven,” officials said.

Hatton was arrested Oct. 12 after being “medical cleared” at the hospital and charged with “one count of attempted felony murder, aggravated battery on a person over 65 years of age, and one count of assault with the intent to commit a felony,” the sheriff’s office said.

Crawfordville is about a 20-mile drive south from Tallahassee, near Apalachicola National Forest.

This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Man tries killing family to get them into heaven, FL cops say. They fight back."