In the early morning hours of May 3, 2025, a night of teenage antics in a quiet Fredericksburg, Virginia, neighborhood ended in tragedy, taking the life of Michael Bosworth Jr. An 18-year-old White male, Michael was a senior at Massaponax High School where he was a three-sport athlete, playing lacrosse and football and wrestling. He was just one week away from his high school graduation and hours away from his senior prom.
Around 3 a.m., Michael and two of his friends and lacrosse teammates were participating in a “ding-dong ditch” prank, which they were reportedly filming for TikTok. After banging on the garage door of one home, the teens sought to evade authorities by cutting through a nearby yard belonging to the family of 27-year-old Tyler Chase Butler.
The boys climbed a six-foot fence to enter the property and were leaving through a gate when Butler, alerted by what his family believed was an attempted break-in, came outside with a gun.
A 911 call from the residence had reported a burglary in progress. As Michael and his friends fled the property, Butler opened fire, firing 10 shots. Michael was struck in the torso and rushed to Mary Washington Hospital, where he died from his injuries. One of his friends, a 17-year-old, was struck in the back by a bullet and treated for minor injuries, while the third teen was unharmed. The surviving teens later testified they never touched Butler’s home and were in his yard for only a matter of seconds.
Tyler Chase Butler was arrested on May 6, 2025, and charged with second-degree murder, malicious wounding, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
In late August 2026, Butler went on trial in Spotsylvania Circuit Court. His defense attorneys argued that he and his mother were terrified and that he acted in self-defense, believing intruders were trying to break into their home. Prosecutors presented testimony from the two surviving teens, who maintained they were only cutting through the yard. They also played front-door camera footage in which Butler could be heard yelling expletives and racial slurs before and after firing his weapon.
After a four-day trial, a jury found Tyler Chase Butler guilty of second-degree murder and other charges. As of his conviction in August 2026, his sentencing was scheduled for October 30, 2026.
