Ex-Marine Livestreamed Killing of Dad and Stepmum as 11-Year-Old Sister Watched

A former US Marine has been convicted of murdering his father and stepmother in their California home before livestreaming the aftermath of the killings on social media as an 11-year-old child looked on in shock.

A San Francisco jury last week found the 27-year-old man guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, each with a firearm allegation causing death. Prosecutors said the case was among the most disturbing they had handled due to the presence of a child and the decision to broadcast the scene online.

Jury Delivers Guilty Verdict

The verdict followed a trial that laid out how the former Marine, Irvin Hernandez-Flores, broke into his parents' home in the early hours of 13 August 2022. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the conviction brought accountability in a case that had devastated a family and deeply affected the wider community.

'This horrific crime left a young woman without her parents and rocked a community,' Jenkins said in a statement after the verdict.

Timeline of the Killings

According to court records and a statement from the district attorney's office, the defendant drove to the family home at about 2:20 a.m.. He scaled a locked security fence and forced his way inside the property on Ingerson Avenue, near Jennings Street.

Once inside, prosecutors said he entered a bedroom and shot his father, Jose Hernandez, five times. He then turned the gun on his stepmother, Yesenia Soto, firing six shots. The father was pronounced dead at the scene. The stepmother was rushed to hospital but died from her injuries the following day.

Child Witness to the Murders

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, both shootings happened in front of the couple's 11-year-old daughter, who witnessed the killings at close range. Prosecutors said the child was left in a state of shock and did not immediately cry after seeing her parents shot.

Assistant district attorney John Roman said no child should ever have to witness such violence, describing the emotional toll as profound and long-lasting.

Livestream Evidence Central to Case

After the shootings, the defendant took out his phone and began livestreaming the scene to social media, according to investigators. Prosecutors told jurors that the video showed the victims on the floor while the defendant appeared calm and pleased with himself.

A spokesperson for the district attorney's office said the footage captured the stepmother still alive and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Prosecutors argued the livestream supported their case that the murders were premeditated and that the defendant was fully aware of his actions.

Claims Made in Jailhouse Interview

In a jailhouse interview with KTVU, the defendant claimed he had been heavily intoxicated on the night of the killings and said he did not remember much of what happened. He did acknowledge entering the bedroom while his parents were asleep and firing multiple shots.

He told the interviewer he believed he was ending his father's suffering after initially shooting him. When asked if he shot him again, he replied, 'Yes, ma'am.'

The defendant also said he did not recall what he said during the livestream but claimed it was likely his way of saying 'goodbye' to his family.

Prosecutors Reject Intoxication Defence

Prosecutors dismissed claims of intoxication, telling the court the evidence showed deliberate actions before and after the shootings, including travelling to the home, forcing entry and broadcasting the aftermath online.

They said the case highlighted growing concerns about extreme violence being shared on social media and the lasting trauma inflicted on child witnesses.

Sentencing is expected at a later date, with the defendant facing a lengthy prison term under California law.