A dad made a chilling confession to the police after he killed his daughter while putting her to bed.
On May 29, 2023, 45-year-old Jordan Chadick shot his daughter, Caroline, in the head while putting her to bed at his apartment in Hot Springs, Arkansas, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The single gunshot ended the little girl’s life and triggered a wave of grief, disbelief, and rage.
“I don’t know what happened,” Chadick told police when asked to explain the unthinkable crime, according to court documents.
Earlier this month, Chadick pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The events leading up to Caroline’s death began with an argument between Jordan and his estranged wife, Melissa.
The couple had been separated and tensions were running high. Melissa reportedly asked Jordan to leave her home, and after some resistance, he did — taking Caroline with him.
Later that night, the Garland County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting at Jordan’s apartment.
What police found was haunting.
Melissa was holding Caroline’s blood-covered body. Jordan, drenched in blood, stood nearby. Caroline was unresponsive.
According to Law & Crime, Jordan didn’t call 911. Instead, he made three phone calls — one of which was to Melissa, during which he allegedly confessed.
When Melissa arrived at his apartment that night, Jordan met her outside and chillingly said: “Get ready, get ready.”
That’s when Melissa rushed inside and found her daughter’s lifeless body, officials said.
Melissa’s sister, Michelle Merriott, was on the phone with her as she entered the apartment and heard the chaos unfold. She and her husband, Todd Merriott, quickly rushed to the scene. What they heard was damning.
Michelle told police she overheard Jordan saying to Melissa: “We got to get our stories straight.”
Todd recalled Jordan saying the “gun hit my hip,” suggesting the shooting was accidental. But other statements from Jordan painted a disturbing picture.
A neighbor reported hearing a loud bang followed by Jordan screaming. When she went to check on him, he told her: “Everything is not okay” and “Oh my God, my daughter’s dead, what have I done.”
That same neighbor also overheard Jordan telling Melissa: “I just killed our daughter.”
During the investigation, Jordan admitted to police he had retrieved a firearm he kept “for protection” while putting Caroline to bed.
Again, he repeated: “I don’t know what happened.”
Officials believe he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time. He was reportedly “smelling of alcohol” and had a long, troubling history of substance abuse, including methamphetamine.
Multiple witnesses confirmed Jordan’s struggles with addiction and said he often carried a gun while intoxicated.
One even recalled an incident where he had pointed a firearm at Melissa’s head — something she said happened “several times” during their marriage.
Jordan’s initial interviews with police were filled with contradictions. At first, he called the shooting accidental. But conflicting statements and disturbing witness accounts told a different story.
He was arrested on August 1, 2023, and initially charged with first-degree murder. In the end, he accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder and will serve 30 years behind bars.
