A Shocking Ambush
Scott's entire family gathered to celebrate New Year’s Eve, including his four victims: father Steven Kologi, 42; his mother, Linda Kologi, 44; his sister, Brittany Kologi, 18; and his grandfather’s girlfriend, Mary Schultz, 70. Others present for the celebration were Scott’s brother, Steven Kologi Jr., and his girlfriend, as well as Scott's grandfather, aunt and uncle.
Early in the evening, Scott retreated to his room, where he loaded a semi-automatic rifle that was registered to Steven Jr. and which he’d taken from his room. Just before midnight, Scott dressed himself in a black leather jacket and sunglasses and hid under his blankets. When his mother came to get him so they could watch the ball drop together, he shot her multiple times in the chest, killing her. Upon hearing the noises, Scott’s father ran upstairs; Scott shot and killed him as well.
Then Scott descended the stairs and walked through the living room and into the kitchen, where he shot and killed his sister and Schultz.
Why Did Scott Kologi Murder 4 People?
While the events of the shooting are clear, the motivation is not.
Afterward, Scott expressed confusion about the shooting, saying it seemed as if someone else was doing it and he was just watching until he was able to snap out of it.
Kathleen Heide, a professor of criminology at the University of South Florida and an expert in parricide (the killing of one’s parents), tells A&E Crime + Investigation that juvenile offenders tend to fall into one of four camps: the severely abused, enraged, dangerously antisocial or severely mentally ill.
“Usually the dangerously antisocial are shooting to remove an obstacle in their way,” Heide explains. Murdering parents helps get them “inheritance, freedom, the girl or boy they want to date over their parents’ objection.”
Heide did not work directly with Scott and therefore cannot comment directly on his state of mind, but if there was “rational gain” to be had in his parents’ murder, it never came out during his conversations with investigators.
Scott’s psychological state was a point of contention at trial; One forensic psychologist (provided by the defense) diagnosed him with early onset schizophrenia. A forensic psychiatrist provided by the prosecution, who also evaluated Scott, said the defendant was not schizophrenic but had “an autism spectrum disorder.”
Lomurro says in his hours of talking with his client, Scott “spoke very highly about his parents. He adored his mother,” adding, “He has no clue why he did it. It just happened.”
Heide says, “Individuals who have been diagnosed as autistic or on the spectrum often have problems regulating emotions, and so it may be harder for a child with autism to put the brakes on in terms of rage or explosive behavior. That said, there are a lot of autistic kids who become very volatile, but they don’t kill people.”
Heide firmly believes Scott is "not well." "Happy, healthy kids from reasonably good families don’t do this,” he says.
An Unjust Sentence?
Lomurro's attempt to mount an insanity defense for his client was unsuccessful. The state of New Jersey found Scott guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and a second-degree weapons offense. For his crimes, he was sentenced to 150 years in prison.
Heide expressed some reservations over the length of Scott's sentence, saying, “He was still a juvenile. In many countries, a sentence like that would’ve never been considered because of his youth.”
Lomurro echoes the sentiment, saying, “The injustice isn’t in how the trial was conducted. The prosecution did what they were supposed to do. The judge applied the law as required. The problem is the law.”
As for how Scott is doing, Lomurro says he visits the client from time to time.
“He does OK. He doesn’t bother anyone, and no one bothers him," Lomurro shares. "The guards love him, he’s such a well-behaved kid. It’s odd—he could probably just survive in jail. If you put him in solitary, he probably wouldn’t be affected by it. He’s in his own world.”
