VIRGINIA BEACH
The 5-year-old boy killed by his father this week will be remembered in a private funeral service for his sense of humor and his love for “Herbie the Love Bug” and “Thomas the Train.”
The life of Joshua D. Hagerman ended Tuesday when, according to police, Joseph Hagerman III decapitated him inside his home on Sugar Creek Drive.
Police found the boy’s body shortly before noon Tuesday after they responded to a stabbing call inside the house. His mother, Shirley Ruffy Hagerman, had told dispatchers that her husband assaulted her and killed their son, according to a search warrant affidavit.
Joseph Hagerman III was arrested after officers found him running on Lynnhaven Parkway and Riverbend Road in blood-soaked clothing. He was charged with first-degree murder and felonious assault. His wife was hospitalized with severe wounds to her hands during the attack.
In jailhouse interviews, Joseph Hagerman III admitted to the slaying, saying he decapitated his son to save him from the "Antichrist." The 33-year-old man, who was taking medication for schizophrenia at the time of the killing, was transferred from the City Jail to Central State Hospital in Petersburg for treatment.
For information about making donations to the Joshua D. Hagerman Memorial Fund, contact Brent Ruffy at brent.ruffy@gmail.com.
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