9-Year-Old Boy Killed By Father In Murder-Suicide: Police

Updated at 4:15 p.m. Monday

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Hours after a mother was unable to contact her ex-partner or their son, St. Petersburg Police confirmed Monday that the father and child were dead from gunshot wounds in an apparent murder-suicide.

Kevin Bybee, 44, and his son, Andres Chateau, 9, were found dead Monday morning by an apartment manager at the Trellis Lakes Apartment Complex where Bybee lived, authorities said.

A neighbor told Patch he heard gunshots Sunday night and wonders if the deaths occurred then.

The boy's mother had been unable to get in contact with the father and son after she went to the apartment Sunday night, St. Pete police said. Bybee lived at 11401 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N., Apt. 3913, St. Petersburg.

The mother, whose name has not been released, told police Bybee didn't open the door when she knocked and he didn't answer her phone calls.

Nick Wieland, who lives in a building across from where the father, Kevin Bybee lived, told Patch Monday that he saw two St. Pete police officers outside Bybee's apartment Sunday at about 10 p.m. as he walked to the complex's gym.

"At about an hour-and-a-half later as I was coming out of the gym, I heard two gunshots that were about two seconds apart ... in this general direction," Wieland said. "And then hearing about it this morning makes me think maybe it had something to do with this. It's a very cruel reality that maybe those two shots were related to what happened. "

"I think about what the mother must be feeling today. ... I feel like maybe I could have called the cops when I heard the shots," Wieland told Patch. "But what's done is done. I can't change what happened."

According to police, the boy's mother, whose name has not been released, called St. Pete Police for a welfare check Sunday night after Bybee did not open the door for her or answer her calls. Their son was spending the weekend with Bybee.

Yolanda Fernandez, police information officer, told Patch that since no one had reason to believe the boy was in danger, and neighbors had not reported anything suspicious to police during the welfare check, they could not break open the door. At that point, it was considered a civil matter.

Monday morning when the apartment leasing office opened, the mother asked management if they could go inside Bybee's apartment to check on her ex and their son.

Bybee had recently been served an eviction notice, Fernandez said, and during an eviction process, managers are allowed to go inside the apartment.

"It was the management that opened the door and found the father and son dead. They then called police, and our officers came out," Fernandez said.

Reporters saw the mother crying outside the apartment as the boy's grandmother wept and offered her comfort.

Chateau attended school at Innovation Preparatory Academy in Pasco County, said Yolanda Fernandez, police information officer.

Suicide Prevention Help

If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or anyone else, call the National Suicide Prevention at 1-800-273-8255 or visit here.

Patch is going to the shooting location to ask St. Pete Police Information Officer, Yolanda Fernandez, questions about the incident. Patch will keep you updated.