Michael Hernandez Southwood Florida middle school killer dies in prison from drug overdose. Teen killer fascinated with serial kilelrs was serving life after stabbing classmate more than 40 times.
A once teen fascinated with serial killers, who was in middle school when he fatally slit the throat of a 14-year-old classmate has died behind bars in Florida, online records show.
Michael Hernandez was a 31-year-old inmate at Columbia Correctional Institute outside Jacksonville when he collapsed and died Thursday — possibly from a drug overdose, according to the Florida Department of Corrections, CBS-TV affiliate WFOR reports.
An official cause of death for Hernandez has yet to be given, although no foul play is suspected, authorities said.
Hernandez was seen on video collapsing, and two sources familiar with the incident said it appears the prisoner may have died from drugs, the outlet said.
Hernandez was 14 when he lured bespectacled, violin-playing fellow student Jaime Gough into a bathroom stall at their suburban Miami middle school in 2004 with the promise of showing him something.
Obsessed with serial killers
Hernandez — who was obsessed with serial killers had devised a list of people he wanted to murder — then stabbed Gough 40 times and cut his throat.
The student went to class afterward — with the bloody knife in his backpack.
A teacher noticed the blood on the student and called cops.
Hernandez tried using an insanity defense at trial, only for the jury to find him guilty and ordering him to serve life behind bars.
His victim’s dad, Jorge Gough, said he was ‘shocked’ to learn of Hernandez’s death.
‘I was not expecting this at all,’ Gough told the Miami Herald.
‘I don’t feel joy, just sad,’ added the mother, Maria Gough.
‘We forgave our son’s killer’
As for his son, the dad said, ‘We miss him, and the big question is: What would he be today?’
The Goughs say they forgave Hernandez long ago according to the cbsmiami.
‘You have a choice to make. You can choose more hate and anger, and it would not be peaceful,’ said Jorge Gough.
