CARMEL — A Carmel man was sentenced to over 80 years in prison for killing his father and injuring his mother. He told police he believed he was Donald Trump, and his parents were the Clintons.
Christopher Claerbout was found guilty of eight counts including murder, domestic battery, criminal confinement and theft. He was sentenced to 82 years in prison.
The incident happened on Feb. 21, 2022, at a home in the 3500 block of Rolling Springs Drive.
When police arrived, they found David Claerbout, 75, in the driveway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to court documents, Christopher told detectives he went to his parent’s house to arrest his mother for war crimes against him and his country.
Christopher admitted to putting his mother in handcuffs and claimed she was “a prisoner of war and going to Guantanamo Bay,” according to court documents.
Christopher’s mother told police her son had tied her up and had been beating and yelling at her. She also said he had shoved her down the stairs at one point.
Christopher’s mother told detectives he had been “ranting and raving” about conspiracy theories, including that “he is Donald Trump and she and her husband are Bill and Hillary Clinton.”
When asked about his father in an interview with police, Christopher refused to talk.
An autopsy later determined David had 20 stab wounds to the hand, chest, back and abdomen.
A competency hearing was ordered to determine if Christopher was fit to stand trial. The court decided he was mentally competent.
