North Adams is not known for crime, at least not until this week. But now, 44-year-old Darius Hazard has confessed to a crime against his own parents that is so violent that most people would need a minute even to process it. The story reportedly began with the fact that Hazard was fatigued from all the caretaking and what he himself described simply as the fact that he “snapped.”
According to police reports cited by the Boston Globe, Hazard had lived with his parents since the early 1990s. His mother (76-year-old Venture) suffered from scoliosis and advanced arthritis, and her mobility had deteriorated recently. His father (83-year-old Donald) became her primary caregiver. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary family supporting an aging parent, but allegedly, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, it became something far more sinister.
Police say Hazard told them that he lost his temper around 3 or 4 a.m. when his mother fell again. He and his father struggled to lift her, and he became “really, really angry,” NBC affiliate WNYT reports. Investigators say Hazard then shoved both parents to the floor and kept hitting them with his fists and objects from around the room. He even threw a small fan at his father. When his father finally pleaded, “Stop it, this is your mom,” Hazard said she had stopped being his mother because she was so frail.
The violence did not stop there either. Hazard allegedly grabbed a can of gasoline from downstairs and poured it through the house. He poured it upstairs first, then in the living room, after which he struck a match and drove off.
⚠️WARNING: This post describes a fatal arson and double murder of elderly victims.
A Massachusetts man has been charged with two counts of murder and arson after allegedly beating his elderly parents and setting their home on fire while they were still alive inside.
Darius… pic.twitter.com/5pniDovomg
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) November 28, 2025
He told investigators that his parents were alive when he walked out and were yelling “come back” and “help me, help us, we are in trouble.” Unfortunately, they couldn’t make it out of the burning house. According to the chief medical examiner, both parents died from smoke inhalation.
Neighbors spotted smoke sometime between 6 and 7 a.m. and at first thought it was from a wood stove. They were banging on the door, and then they called 911. After some time, the police forced their way in and found the couple’s bodies together in the living room, suggesting they had likely sought each other in their final moments. Heartbreaking, really.
Meanwhile, Hazard had driven out of town, and according to the probable cause report, he even attempted to stab himself because he “could not live with himself for doing this.” Later that afternoon, police spotted his vehicle in a Walmart parking lot.
When officers asked if he was okay, he replied,
“Truthfully, no (…) I guess I snapped.”
Hazard pleaded not guilty to charges of arson against his parents on Tuesday and first-degree murder on Wednesday and is being held without bail. Prosecutors say he admitted to both the attack and the fire.
First Assistant District Attorney Marianne Shelvey said the case has affected the area rather badly. It may take months before a complete psychological profile emerges, if one ever does.
