Netflix is digging into true crime with another docuseries on relationships gone wrong, murder, and uncovered secrets in I Just Killed My Dad.
The story highlights the tumultuous relationship between Anthony Templet and his father, Burt, who he shot after an argument in June of 2019. Admitting guilt immediately, there was no days-long search for the killer, but an in-depth investigation into Anthony’s motive would uncover a lifetime of secrets.
The trailer is emotionally charged, but it barely scratches the surface. In fact, the three-part series is going to need to cover a lot of ground before the layered story can begin to make sense.
The first time we hear Anthony Templet speak in the trailer, he says twelve words that most definitely strike a chord.
“I shouldn’t be charged with anything, because I didn’t do anything wrong.”
His tone of voice is almost numb as he speaks, and you soon find out why Templet felt that he didn’t do anything wrong when he shot his father. It’s a twisted tale, a complicated story, and a multifaceted piece of storytelling that will undeniably make viewers feel a slew of emotions as they tune in to each episode.
Who is Anthony Templet?
Anthony Templet of Baton Rouge shot his father when he was 17. Telling police he acted in self-defense, Fox8Live describes part of the phone call where Templet explains what had happened to the operator.
“He tried to attack me. Then, we got into a fist fight. Then, I ran in his room, closed the door, and got a gun. As I unlocked the door, he tried to (inaudible) and then I shot him.”
While that’s all that police knew upon arriving at the scene, they’d soon find out that things were far more complicated than an argument that escalated. It was quickly discovered that Anthony’s family didn’t know if he was alive or dead — and they hadn’t for over a decade.
Family members claimed that Burt had kidnapped Anthony when he was just five years old, and they hadn’t had contact with him in the years between the abduction and Burt’s murder. Burt seemed to use holding him captive as a tool with the rest of the members of their family.
Templet’s sister, Natasha, told WAFB that she thought her brother was strong for putting up with over a decade of abuse at the hands of their father. She also said that Burt was abusive when Anthony was a baby.
“He has been secluded and abused all these years by his own father. My brave brother had to defend himself for the last time against that evil man.”
Anthony pled no contest to negligent homicide in the 2019 shooting death of his father, Burt. He was sentenced to five years of supervised probation in March of 2021, as explained by WAFB. They also share that documents obtained and shared in court seemed to confirm that Burt had been abusive in his past.
In addition to the supervised probation, reports state that Templet was also ordered to obtain a high school diploma.
Who was Burt Templet?
A question that might not be easy to answer, Burt Templet was different things to different people. His family claims he was abusive throughout their lives together, and he was alleged to have abducted Anthony when he was just five years old.
As the trailer acknowledges, Burt lived a secret life, and it seemed that he was more confident in hiding this than he actually was. In addition to allegations of abuse, he was also accused of setting up surveillance cameras all around his home to spy on friends and family.
The trailer mentions the above-listed allegations against Burt, but in docuseries form, they’re keeping their cards close to their chest until the docuseries premieres on Aug. 9.
EW also acknowledges that, while the docuseries will focus on all of the accusations against Burt, it will, in large, tell the story of Anthony and how he overcame life with his father and the night that changed his life.
“This three-episode documentary series explores the psyche of Anthony leading up to the events of June 3, 2019 and the journey of his mental and emotional aftermath.”
Skye Borgman’s I Just Killed My Dad begins streaming on Netflix on Aug. 5.