A man from Pennsylvania, USA, was arrested and placed in jail for beating his 92-year-old father to death with an arm of a chair after believing that he was a vampire.

According to official reports, Douglas Novak attacked his father with a wooden arm of a dining room chair at the family house.

The incident happened in Hempfield, Pennsylvania.

The court heard that he dragged his father’s body under a shower and then to a bed.

Authorities were alerted about the incident when the police responded to a fire at the house.

The autopsy report said that the father died from complications of blunt force trauma to the head, extremities, and torso.

The blaze at the house started when candles used as part of a vampire ritual burned to the floor.

Brian Aston, the lawyer of Novak, said that his client is mentally ill and was off his meds when he attacked his elderly father.

It is said that Novak stayed next to his father’s dead body for 2 straight days because he wanted to kill him when he woke up by putting a stake through his heart.

Aston added:

He believed what he was doing was killing a vampire. He lay next to his father for two days after the beating to kill him when he wakes up – to put a stake through his heart – because we all know that’s how you kill a vampire.

However, the prosecutors had different claims.

Prosecutors said that Novak told the police he beat his father because he was hiding his smartphone.

Assistant District Attorney Leo Ciaramitaro said Novak’s confession to police includes the real reason why he killed his father.

Leo added:

The vampire story was just one piece of his statement. He also said that he beat his father because he was hiding his phone.

Natalie Shannon, the sister of Novak, said that her brother had a violent relationship with their parents.

Novak also used to ignore medical advice about his mental health.

The sister said that she wants Novak to stay behind the bars for the rest of his life.

In a post that she made on Facebook, she said:

My brother Doug Novak, ‘mixing up his meds’ is a lie! He always went off his meds. You can ask anybody who truly knew him. His ex-girlfriends. You know who you are. There are many people who saw the violent side of my brother. My brother was abusing my parents for a long time. He took money from them. The reason why Doug didn’t have a long jury trial is because the truth would come out. If he decided on a jury trial, he most definitely would’ve got life in prison. I have been silent for a long time, about what my brother was like and what went on. I will not stay silent anymore. I am happy with the 10 to 30-year sentence.

Novak is diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

He was treated for five months at Torrance State Hospital before being cleared out to stand trial.

On Thursday, Novak said that he never meant to kill his father, however, he accidentally came off his medication.

He said:

I loved my dad with all my heart. He was truly my hero.

Novak also called his dead father as his “biggest supporter” in his battle against mental illness.

Novak will be serving a portion of his sentence at a mental health facility and will be transferred to a state prison once is cleared by medical professionals.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim, may his soul rest in peace.