Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders - Where is Trey Sesler now?

The murder of the Sesler family at the hands of the youngest son, Trey Sesler, became front-page news in Texas in 2012. As per Houston Chronicle, the 22-year-old YouTuber had been plotting a mass murder at the Waller High School before which he took the lives of his mother, Rhonda, his father, Lawton, and his elder brother, Mark.

Trey Eric Sesler was arrested the same day he killed his family, and he subsequently pled guilty to the three murders in August 2012, per ABC7. He is presently serving a life sentence at the Terrell Unit in Brazoria County, Texas.

The new episode of Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders titled Killer Content chronicles how Trey murdered his family. The installment is scheduled to air on June 24, 2024, at 9 pm EST on Investigation Discovery. The official synopsis reads:

"Successful teenage film reviewer Trey is building an online empire on YouTube, attracting hundreds of thousands of views. But it can't last, and soon, he finds himself dragged into a shocking world of guns, abuse and revenge."

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Trey Sesler shot his father, mother, and brother

Trey Sesler lured his mother, Rhonda Wyse Sesler, 57, to the garage of their house where he shot her in the chest four times at point-blank range with a semi-automatic shotgun. According to the Daily Star, he then shot down his elder brother, Mark Alan Sesler, 25, with a pistol. After this, he proceeded to shoot his father, Lawton Ray Sesler Jr, 58, who was asleep in his bedroom.

According to ABC7 Chicago, Trey left messages all over the walls following the shooting at the residence on Peebles Street in Hempstead.

"I love my mom, dad, and brother. God forgive me because I cannot forgive myself," the messages read.

Furthermore, ABC News reported that Trey Sesler had planned an attack on or near the nearby Waller High School in a manner eerily similar to the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.

After shooting his family, he took off with his Hi-Point model 995 carbine rifle and more than 100 rounds of ammunition and made his way to Waller High School, the Daily Star reported. He sat in his vehicle in the parking lot before making his way to his friend's place.

The Sesler family murders took place on March 20, 2012, and Trey Sesler was arrested the same day. During an interrogation, he mentioned that he wished to carry out a Columbine-style shooting at the institute and kill at least 70 people. He said that he had to kill his family before that so they would not be ashamed of him. As per the Daily Star, Waller police chief Phil Rehak shed light on Trey's confession and said:

"He further admitted to investigators that he studied serial killers to the point of grading their work and researched mass shootings. He had thoughts of committing acts of public violence such as these."

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Where is Trey Sesler now?

Trey Eric Sesler was charged with the murders of Rhonda Wyse Sesler, Mark Alan Sesler, and Lawton Ray Sesler Jr in March 2012. He was charged with three counts of capital murder, which he pled guilty to on August 2, 2012, per ABC7.

According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Trey Sesler was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was held at the Waller County Jail and then transferred to the McConnell Unit in Bee County, Texas. He was then shifted to Terrell Unit in Brazoria County, Texas where he presently remains incarcerated.

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The fourth episode of Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders will shed more light on the Sesler family murders when it airs on ID on Monday.