Gregory Ramos was 15 when he strangled his 46-year-old mum, Gail Cleavenger, during a row over the fact he received a 'D' at school. Video / WESH 2
A 17-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to killing his mother following a fight over his bad school grades.
Gregory Ramos was 15 when he strangled his 46-year-old mum, Gail Cleavenger, during a row over the fact he received a "D" at school.
Her body was found buried beneath a fire pit at a church after an elaborate attempt to make the murder appear as a burglary gone wrong – allegedly with the help of two friends, Dylan Ceglarek and Brian Porras, both 17 at the time.
The teen agreed to a 45-year prison sentence under a plea deal on Wednesday, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Gregory Ramos has admitted murdering his mum after a row over his bad school grades. Photo / WFTV9
Ramos called emergency services on November 2, 2018, to report that his home in the US state of Florida had been broken into and his mum was missing.
However, police doubted his story due to telling scratches on his face – and after hours of interrogation, the schoolboy admitted he had strangled his mum to death the day before in a row over grades.
During his chilling confession, he revealed he had been rowing with his mum until they'd gone to bed at 11pm that day. He then woke her up at 12.30am to kill her, with her death occurring 30 minutes later.
"He went into her room and began strangling her and strangled her till he killed her" Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at the time, according to a report by The Sun.
Gail Cleavenger was strangled in her sleep by her then 15-year-old son. Photo / Supplied
He admitted he used a wheelbarrow to move her body into the family's truck and then drove her almost 3km away to River City Church where he buried her body under a firepit.
After, he returned home and went to school but left early in order to establish an alibi.
Dylan Ceglarek and Brian Porras, who have been charged as adults and face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of accessory after the fact to premeditated first-degree murder according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, allegedly helped by kicking in the front door and removing items.
"He [Ramos] then got home and made a Grammy-winning phone call to 911 to talk about this horrible incident that did not really occur," Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at the time.
"He is a soulless individual who thought he was going to outsmart everybody in this room.
"To watch how cold and callous and calculating he was, I think was probably the most shocking thing of all for us.
"It is one of the most disturbing and saddest cases I've seen in my career."
The boy tried to stage a burglary at his home in an attempt to cover his tracks. Photo / Supplied
However, during the new hearing, Ramos' lawyer said the teen was "extremely remorseful and he regrets his actions every day".
Sheriff Chitwood's office tweeted after the hearing, describing it as a "tragedy beyond understanding".
This was a tragedy beyond understanding. May Gail Cleavenger rest in peace. Thanks to the deputies, detectives and prosecutors who worked so hard on this difficult case. https://t.co/X4TvyrsgjC
Ramos' official sentencing will take place in January next year, with his lawyer stating he is "looking forward" to having a release date so he can prove he can be a "productive citizen".
