0:00
And even though like it felt like I wasn't doing this physically, I was still able to see everything and I would like see them moving and like I just
0:06
kept firing until like they stopped moving. I like aim at the head and whatnot. So you aiming at their heads?
0:13
Yeah. And when I saw they were still moving cuz like even though I was like in this like type of thing like I just
0:20
didn't want him to be in pain at the same time. The date was New Year's Day of 2018.
0:25
This is Scott Colloji. And this video was recorded less than 3 hours after he
0:31
had gunned down most of his family, merely seconds before they were all ready to celebrate the turn of a new
0:37
year. And sitting right next to him was one of the only surviving members of his family. His brother, who acting as his
0:44
guardian, was forced to sit there and listen to how his life was destroyed in a matter of moments.
0:52
However, as it turns out, there is far more to this story than meets the eye. In fact, long before the Colloji family
0:59
met their unfortunate end, a storm had quietly been brewing. Not just within the family's home, but deep inside
1:06
Scott's mind. And let's just say that as a result, this story will be sure to divide you. Welcome, or welcome back to
1:14
Coffee House Crime, folks. My name is Adrien and this is a wild story about a man who will either be called an evil
1:20
monster or a vulnerable kid who never received the help he needed. Oh, and by the way, this channel is ran just by
1:27
myself and two good friends. There are no corporations, no Netflix studios, and absolutely no AI slop. Just a small team
1:34
that values real stories told properly. So, if you want to support channels like this one, then please do consider
1:40
subscribing and maybe even dropping a comment for the algorithm. Thank you. And now with that said, please grab
1:47
yourself a coffee and let's caffeinate while we investigate. This is the case of Scott Colloji.
2:02
But before we begin our story today, please be honest with me here. How are you listening to this episode right now?
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Thank you Raycon for sponsoring this video and thank you to you folks for supporting this channel. Let's get straight back to our story today. We
4:01
begin today in Long Branch, New Jersey, which is home to around 30,000 Americans. Here, the air is clean,
4:08
seafood is quite clearly in abundance, and the place tries to forget its grizzly stories. To be honest, it's the
4:15
last place you'd expect something like this to happen. But that's the thing about places like Long Branch. The
4:21
quietest corners can often hide the darkest secrets. And as 2017 drew to an
4:26
end, one more terrible secret would be carved into its history. Among the many families who called Long Branch home was
4:34
the Colloji family, and by all accounts, they were normal, warm, close-knit, and
4:39
deeply loving. Their home, which was found on Wall Street, was the kind of place where family birthdays were
4:45
celebrated big. Christmas was magical, and Sunday dinners were sacred. The family consisted of two parents, Steven
4:53
Colloji Senior, aged 42, and Linda Colloji, aged 44. And together, they
4:59
were the kind of parents that most kids would be sincerely lucky to have. They were supportive, attentive, nurturing,
5:06
and endlessly devoted to their kids. Between the two of them, they raised four children, that being their eldest
5:12
son, Jonathan, their daughter, Britney, and their two younger sons, Steven and
5:17
Scott. But the family did not stop there because Linda's younger sister Michelle and her husband Richard both lived
5:24
downstairs in the basement apartment. Meanwhile, the family grandfather, also named Adrien, and his long-term partner
5:31
Mary, were always found to visit the property on most days of the week, especially when it came to holidays and
5:38
celebrations. It was a house that was full of life and by most appearances
5:43
full of love. But saying that, in that warmth lived someone who was quite undeniably different. You see, Scott,
5:50
who was one of the youngest of the children, had been diagnosed with development issues at a very young age.
5:56
And so, with these additional challenges, he attended a special education school which was tailored to
6:01
helping students who needed that extra hand. And so, as a result, his social world was unfortunately incredibly
6:08
small. You see, he never really spoke to any children outside of his family. and
6:13
even when he did, he struggled to relate to them. Looking back, actually, I think one of his older brothers described it
6:19
perfectly. Scott just didn't act like any other 16-year-old. Not only was he
6:24
supposedly innocent, sheltered, and isolated, but he still believed in Santa Claus and would sleep in his parents'
6:30
bedroom every night. Now, naturally, this meant that both of his parents were extraordinarily protective, especially
6:37
his mother. I mean, not only would Linda dress him every morning, but she would even cook him separate meals just to his
6:43
liking and monitor him very carefully. However, love, as deep as it ran in the
6:48
family home, was simply not enough to hide their concerns. Because deep down
6:53
and underneath the surface, there were unspoken fears. You see, the family had
6:58
long suspected that maybe there was something more going on with Scott. And I'm not talking just simple development
7:05
delays here. I'm talking about something far more worrying. Now, this manifested in very strange ways because at least in
7:12
Linda's mind, it was likely the possibility of a tumor. And although it was never diagnosed, she still believed
7:19
that maybe that was the cause for all of these additional weird behaviors.
7:26
What doctors would later determine was that Scott likely fell heavily on the autism spectrum, and his symptoms were
7:33
pretty obvious, too. He showed strong obsessivecompulsive tendencies, had difficulty interpreting social cues, and
7:40
emotionally, well, he just seemed to live in an entirely different rhythm. Scott could be incredibly flat at times,
7:48
too. He could be quiet and serious, but always gentle and always passive. It is
7:53
worth noting here that no one had ever seen him act violently, not once. As for his behavior and how people outside of
8:00
the family saw him, well, they all said that he was polite, calm, and basically
8:05
invisible to outsiders. And that's because his world would revolve mostly around books, television, video games,
8:12
and family. And that was basically it. And although he wasn't that emotionally
8:17
expressive, he did seem to love his parents and all of his siblings. From the outside, looking in, the Colloji
8:24
family were doing everything right for Scott. They gave him structure, affection, and importantly, protection
8:31
from the outside. However, what they didn't know is that while the Colloji family were wrapping Scott in this
8:38
warmth, his inner world was unfortunately growing cold. And what no one seemed to realize or perhaps even
8:45
refused to face was that something was shifting deep within him. Over the
8:50
years, the signs had subtly increased. You see, Scott had started experiencing
8:56
hallucinations. Strange thoughts began to take shape, and he talked about disturbing urges that he didn't know how
9:03
to control. You could describe them as visceral feelings which he couldn't explain. Now, the family would chalk
9:09
most of this up to just Scott being Scott with his general quirks, and they would even hope that eventually he would
9:16
grow out of it. However, the reality was far more dark and far more sad. And
9:21
while the Colloji family smiled and persevered on, Scott's mind was slowly
9:26
unraveling. In the years leading up to 2017, Scott had started to think about
9:32
hurting people. And I'm not talking about just in passing or inflating moments of frustration with someone, but
9:38
seriously, deliberately, and without any reason whatsoever. And most chilling of
9:44
all, these feelings were consistent. In fact, for most of 2016 and 2017, Scott
9:50
had even been fantasizing about hurting his family. And these were not just violent passing thoughts either, but
9:57
methodical conversations that Scott would have with himself. His aunt Michelle would later admit that whenever
10:03
Scott was having a bad day, he would say things like, "I have bad thoughts." And
10:08
when she would ask him what he meant, he would tell her that he was thinking about hurting people. Understandably
10:14
shaken by this, Michelle would often confront her sister, Linda. She begged her to seek help for her son, either by
10:21
speaking to a doctor or taking him to a therapist. But unfortunately, Linda would always refuse these offers, and
10:29
instead would simply brush them away as if they weren't an issue. It is hard to tell why precisely, but the main theory
10:35
is that she simply didn't want to see Scott as someone who could possibly be so dangerous.
10:44
In fact, she would even take it one step further with Michelle when she told her not to tell anybody else. Not the
10:50
school, not the doctor, and certainly not the authorities. Because if somebody outside of the family actually realized
10:56
what Scott was thinking, well, he may be questioned, institutionalized, or even
11:02
taken away. Now, Linda was not malicious in her intentions here. You could tell that she deeply cared about her son, and
11:08
all she wanted to do was protect him. But tragically, she also believed that love alone would solve all of his
11:15
problems. Now, apparently at one stage, Scott had even asked his mother if he could speak to the school psychologist
11:21
because he was having violent thoughts about hurting the kid next door. And Linda's response, well, unfortunately,
11:28
she flat out refused. Not only that, but she even banned Scott from speaking to the therapist again. And that consistent
11:35
decision, which by the way was made from a place of pure and innocent maternal love, may have been the curse that
11:41
sealed the family's fate. The thing is that Scott's thoughts were not merely impulsive or passing, but they were
11:48
persistent obsessions. He also confided in both his aunt and his grandfather
11:53
about this. But again, no one raised the alarm. In fact, his family even bickered
11:59
about this from time to time, and that still didn't go anywhere. For example, in October of 2017, Jonathan texted his
12:07
mom to say, "Adrien says that all Scott talks about is killing people. It was
12:12
just another chilling warning." But unfortunately, Linda still didn't act.
12:17
Instead, she hoped that this was a phase or a dark joke or even just a weird teen
12:23
thing. And it appears that even Scott would try to pass it off this way, too. For example, it was during a family
12:29
board game that October that he picked up a small gun-shaped object before then pointing it towards his aunt and uncle
12:36
and saying, "I'm going to kill you." They laughed about it, but quite nervously, because, well, what else are
12:43
you going to do? But the terrible thing is that Scott was not actually joking, and his thoughts were not mere fantasies
12:50
anymore, either. And that's because not only had he started hallucinating, but he seemed to be planning things in his
12:56
mind, too. Now, here is a very interesting part of the story, but Scott would also often talk about these
13:02
strange reoccurring visions. And one of the most terrifying details of this included Scott often seeing a pinkish
13:10
blob staring at him from the neighbor's window, kind of like a ghost or a figure, but without a face.
13:16
Unfortunately, it didn't stop there either, because Scott would also tell his parents that he often saw a
13:22
transparent woman floating into the ceiling. He would also see faces appearing all over his bedroom walls,
13:29
and voices were always whispering to him from the stairway. Really terrifying stuff and things that would be sure to
13:37
leave me feeling like I'm in an endless nightmare. There is something that I would like to share with you here.
13:42
There's an Instagram account that I randomly came across the other day. And no, this isn't a sponsor, by the way,
13:48
but the user Sor Magical has tried to imitate what it's like to live with hallucinations and schizophrenia. It is
13:55
genuinely insightful. And from this reel, you can even gather what it's like for Scott, too.
14:06
Don't forget you need to pick up
14:12
the water.
14:25
With everything said, it is clear to see that Scott's internal world was fracturing. And for whatever reason, the
14:32
people around him were slowly becoming threats in his own mind. As a result, Scott had become paranoid and even
14:39
convinced that others might hurt him. A school evaluation would eventually suggest that Scott possibly might have
14:46
ADHD and maybe even some kind of brain anomaly. However, nothing came of it.
14:52
And to be honest, I think that diagnosis was probably a little too weak. The Colloji family continued to care for
14:59
Scott at home. However, they didn't push for any further psychiatric evaluation, and that is probably because they did
15:05
not want to believe what might be happening to their son. But sadly, the signs were all there.
15:14
Now, quite curiously, the Colloji family even had a history of mental health issues. For example, the grandfather on
15:21
one side of the family was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Meanwhile, a grandmother on the other side was
15:27
diagnosed with a personality disorder. In fact, even Scott's sister Brittany had been diagnosed with bipolar
15:33
disorder. It was all around them. But strangely, Scott was never diagnosed. By
15:39
the end of the year, Scott was still deeply paranoid, deeply obsessed, and still slowly sinking. Yet, to the
15:46
outside world, everything still seemed fine. And that included that fateful day of December the 31st, 2017. So, it was
15:54
on this day that the family were quite naturally planning their New Year's Eve celebrations just like they did every
16:00
year. And there was no change to this year either. They all decided to have their usual family gathering. It was a
16:06
full house that day, including Steven Senior, Linda, Britney, Jonathan, and his girlfriend, Aunt Michelle, and Uncle
16:13
Richard, Scott's grandfather, Adrien, and Adrienne's companion, Mary Schultz. There were three generations of the
16:20
family here, all with party hats and party drinks and food which had been laid out in the kitchen. It was the kind
16:26
of night where you'd take plenty of pictures. Except by the end of this one,
16:32
well, you better hope that none were taken.
16:39
Upstairs, Scott was planning something else. at around 7:30 p.m. And while his
16:44
family started their party downstairs, he pulled out his phone and made several searches on the internet. This included
16:52
can a bullet from an AK-47 Pierce body armor, terror attacks, and preparation
16:57
theme music. After that, he began to read an article about the 2017 London
17:03
terror attack before then moving on to flat earth conspiracy theories. It seems that Scott was not acting on impulse
17:10
here. Instead, he was mentally preparing and calibrating. Unfortunately, it just
17:15
so happens that that night, the family home contained an Americanmade semi-automatic AK-47. The gun belonged
17:23
to Scott's older brother. And although it was typically kept away in a locked safe, it unfortunately wasn't on this
17:30
particular day, in the months and years leading up to this tragic event, the safe had slowly began to rust away. And
17:37
so the AK-47 had been moved into a nearby closet. Not only that, but the
17:43
ammunition was both nearby and ready, and Scott knew exactly where everything
17:48
was. Actually, it turns out that Scott had been obsessed with this weapon for weeks. Throughout December, he had
17:54
watched multiple YouTube videos about AK-47s, studied how to handle them, and even
18:00
learned about what attachments could be used. It is clear that he had grown fascinated. And now the moment had
18:07
arrived. At some point during the evening, Scott quietly slipped away again before then heading upstairs and
18:14
retrieving the rifle. He then loaded it with bullets, armed himself with a second magazine, and then even put in
18:21
foam earplugs for his own protection. He then slipped on a black jacket, put on some sunglasses, and then just stood
18:29
there in the darkness with all of the lights off, waiting for anyone to come upstairs.
18:36
It was only a few minutes before midnight that Linda headed upstairs to get her son. The turn of the new year
18:42
marks a significant milestone, so it makes sense that she wanted him to be there with the rest of the family. But
18:48
sadly, by then, Scott had already made his mind up. The very moment that Linda
18:53
opened that door, and without a word, Scott turned around towards her and opened fire. Neighbors later reported
19:00
hearing what they described as popping sounds just before midnight. However, these were not fireworks. Linda was
19:08
struck multiple times at close range. Seconds later, she collapsed just outside of Scott's bedroom, bleeding out
19:15
in the upstairs hallway of her own home. Severely wounded, her final moments alive were likely filled with confusion,
19:22
pain, and heartbreak. Moments later, Scott's father, Steven, ran upstairs to find out what was going on. And of
19:29
course, what he found at the top of the staircase was beyond comprehension. Scott then raised the rifle and fired
19:36
multiple bullets through Steven's chest, abdomen, and head. He died instantly.
19:41
Downstairs, chaos erupted, and family members and guests, who had been partying only moments earlier, were now
19:48
scattering in panic. Scott's aunt and uncle sprinted for their lives, diving into the basement before then escaping
19:55
out the back door. this, of course, saving their lives in the process. As for Scott's older brother, Jonathan, he
20:02
burst through the front door and then ran into the night, horrified. Meanwhile, his girlfriend ran into the
20:07
kitchen in search of shelter. Inside the kitchen, she found Britney, Scott's sister, Adrien, and Mary. And it's clear
20:15
that none of them had any time to process what was going on because none of them thought about running out the
20:20
back door. Meanwhile, Scott himself was making his way downstairs with the rifle
20:25
in his hands. Those still alive described his demeanor as stern and emotionless. He didn't scream, rant, or
20:32
even say anything. And behind those sunglasses, his face was blank and cold.
20:38
The very moment he entered the kitchen, he found Mary. And unfortunately, he was
20:43
not prepared to give her mercy. After shooting her in the abdomen, Mary collapsed on the kitchen floor. and
20:50
tragically she too would die from that wound. Nearby, Scott raised the weapon
20:55
at his sister's face and then pulled the trigger. Britney was hit once in the face and once in the chest, and she died
21:02
almost instantly, too. In what was later calculated as just under 2 minutes, Scott Colloji had murdered four people,
21:09
that being his mother, his father, his sister, and a beloved family friend. But
21:14
then all of a sudden, and surprisingly, Scott suddenly stopped. standing in the
21:20
same kitchen where he had just murdered his sister. His grandfather Adrien stood there just entirely dazed. Apparently,
21:27
when he saw the pain in his grandfather's face, it pulled him out of his days. And so, whether it was a
21:34
moment of clarity or a break in his twisted logic, that is when Scott decided to lower his weapon and finally
21:41
end the killing spree. In total, 14 shots were fired. And just as quickly as
21:46
it began, when all was said and done, Scott simply put the rifle on the ground and then calmly walked back upstairs.
21:53
Meanwhile, outside, Jonathan had already run to a neighbor's house and dialed 911. And now, sirens could be heard
22:00
approaching in the distance. Attention all supervisors. All staff supervisors 635 Wall Street, 635 Wall
22:08
Street, cross of Oakwood and Long. Thankfully, police officers arrived
22:14
within several minutes. Multiple callers had reported an active shooter inside the home, and so officers entered the
22:21
crime scene with their weapons drawn. As they advanced, one officer shouted, "Police, show me your hands." And from
22:28
the stairway, a calm voice could be heard saying, "I'm upstairs." Scott emerged onto the landing with both of
22:34
his hands visible. He then gave himself up without resistance. Police say a
22:40
family New Year's gathering turned into a quadruple homicide around 11:45 last
22:45
night. Neighbors heard the gunshots from down the street. I came outside last night about midnight
22:51
to uh to look and see what was going on. I was saying I'm pretty sure that was gunshots. So, uh
22:57
I looked outside before you know a cop down here, cop down there lined up around the street. The Monmouth County
23:02
prosecutor says a 16-year-old fatally shot, his mother, 42-year-old Linda Colloji, his father, 44year-old Steve
23:10
Colloji, his sister, 18-year-old Britney Colloji, as well as a family friend, 70-year-old Mary Schultz. This is a
23:18
photo of the Collojis and their four children in happier times. The prosecutor says the grandfather and a
23:24
brother were in the home but unharmed. The prosecutor says the suspect used a Century Arms semi-automatic rifle and a
23:32
family member legally owned the gun. We will be charging this individual with uh four counts of murder and one count
23:39
of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Scott's actions not only ended the lives of multiple family members, but also
23:46
ruined New Year's Eve for thousands in Long Branch. I mean, the shooting was quite simply unbelievable. And as those
23:53
details trickled out to the community, well, they all felt shocked and distraught. However, before any of that
24:00
happened, and while the community was still out there celebrating New Year's Eve, Scott had finally been arrested. I
24:06
know this is going to anger some of you here, but despite his age, Scott waved as Miranda writes away and even agreed
24:12
to speak to detectives without a lawyer. I think whether you're innocent or morbidly guilty, everyone will always
24:18
agree that you should always obtain a lawyer first. except Scott here. I'm pretty sure he had no idea what he was
24:25
doing. Now, in a cruel twist of fate, because Scott was still technically a minor, officers were still legally
24:31
required to obtain consent either from a parent, which wasn't going to happen, or a guardian before they could begin. And
24:38
tragically, the only available guardian that evening was Scott's older brother, 20-year-old Steven, who of course had
24:45
just witnessed him murder more than half of his family. What Steven did next was incredibly brave because not only would
24:52
he agree to be Scott's temporary guardian, but he would even sit in during his interrogation. And I have to
24:57
say it was probably one of the most heartbreaking things I've watched.
25:04
I know they're all uh well deceased. How do you know that?
25:09
I like I would like I said like I even though like it felt like I wasn't doing
25:15
this physically I was still able to see everything and I would like see them moving like I just kept firing until
25:20
like they stopped moving I like aim at the head and whatnot. So you aiming at their heads?
25:26
Yeah. When I saw they were still moving cuz like even though I was like in this like type of thing like I just didn't
25:33
want them to be in pain at the same time. All right. Let's so let me rewind a little bit. So upstairs, your mom walks
25:38
in, right? Opens the door. Didn't walk in yet. So the gun is loaded already. Yes.
25:44
How many times do you shoot her? I would say five, seven times. Where do you shoot her at? What part of
25:50
the body? And then like the torso and chest. All right. And then your father hears the shots and he comes up.
25:56
Yes. And then he It was his back and his back. Yeah.
26:02
All right. And then you walk down the steps. Yeah. with a gun loaded and you go in the kitchen.
26:08
Yeah. And then the rest. How many times did you shoot your sister?
26:13
Three times. Where did you shoot her at? Um well, she was sitting down, so it was
26:18
like kind of like chest head region. And who's the uh other person you shot?
26:25
Grandmother. Grand. Yeah, chest region. Chest region. How many times did you shoot her? You were
26:30
four times, I believe. Four times. Like and I know like uh cuz I had the things in my ears. It was
26:35
muffled, but like it was also cuz I wasn't there fully. When you were loading the mags and when you were doing this there was
26:41
Yeah, I was like questioning it but I just like couldn't stop like it was like something subconsciously like I had to
26:47
do it. Did you feel anger at certain moments? Yeah.
26:52
Okay. Yeah. just
26:58
um you said something before and I I want to make sure I remember it correctly to ask you about
27:04
it. Um you said uh something about um you
27:09
weren't really mentally there. No, like when everything was going down, like everything was happening, like it
27:15
felt like I was watching it. Like it felt like I was like further back in my mind. Like I could still see it
27:22
and I knew I was doing it. It just felt like it wasn't me. Okay. Yeah. But yet you knew what you were doing.
27:29
Yeah. You know what time this happened at, right? You remember the time? It was around 12 cuz of like
27:36
before New Year, right? Drop. So it was around what? 11:30 12 around
27:41
there. I would say 11:58 59. Did you do that on purpose? What? I was thinking like around that
27:48
time. Happy New Year type of Yeah. What time did you think of doing this
27:55
at? What did you How long you been planning this? I don't know. Like, but mainly a day.
28:01
Like I just saw like like was it were you thinking about it all day today? Yeah, pretty much.
28:07
So, you you were thinking about going to get your brother's gun and shooting everybody up. Yeah. When describing the murders, Scott spoke
28:14
to officers with extreme detail. He confessed everything both openly and honestly and without any remorse
28:21
whatsoever. Meanwhile, you can see his brother struggling with his own emotions and of course his monumental pain. Of
28:29
course, Scott would then tell the story precisely how it was, that he'd been harboring violent thoughts for well over
28:35
a year, and also that he wanted to inflict pain on his bullies, a neighbor who had allegedly wronged him, and even
28:42
his entire family. When pressed about hallucinations or voices, Scott said that apparently he didn't recall having
28:49
any that night. However, he did mention seeing a white light outside of the window before the shooting. Whether it
28:55
was a hallucination, a firework, or simply a trick of memory, we can't quite tell. But what he did say with absolute
29:02
clarity was that he already knew that what he did was wrong. And when detectives asked him why he didn't shoot
29:08
the dog or the cat, Scott simply said that they were not doing anything wrong to him, he then followed up his answer
29:15
by asking a question himself. That simply being, "Can I go to a mental hospital instead of jail, please?" As
29:22
Scott was led out of the interrogation room and then charged with four counts of first-degree murder, the questions
29:28
surrounding this case only grew heavier. I mean, obviously, he was troubled and he had an extraordinary history of
29:34
disturbing thoughts. So there was the argument of insanity here, but also he
29:40
was articulate, rational, and deeply aware. And so began a long legal, psychiatric, and moral war on what to do
29:47
with Scott. But before I continue with this video, what do you think about Scott Colloji? Do you think that he was
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this cold-blooded evil killer, or do you think he was this vulnerable boy who was trapped inside a fractured mind? Well,
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let me tell you, this is actually the main reason I want to talk about this case today. Because as tragic as this
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story may be, the psychology behind Scott's mind is truly fascinating.
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So, let's split this case into two very different professional perspectives. To
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begin with, Dr. Senior Santina is a forensic psychiatrist who evaluated Scott twice. Once in 2019 and then again
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in 2020. Not only had she spent hundreds of hours with him, but she also combed
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through his records and studied his psychological history. Her ultimate conclusion was that Scott suffered from
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early onset schizophrenia and that his descent into psychosis had started long before the night of the murders. It is
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noted that as far back as his childhood, Scott reported perceptual distortions,
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shadowy hallucinations, and a constant sense that something was deeply off inside his mind. She also described how
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Scott had seen red demonic faces, floating women, and transparent figures that randomly appeared and then vanished
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inside his bedroom. Now, none of these things were passing nightmares or teenage anxiety, but instead they were,
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in her own words, odd perceptual experiences consistent with psychotic symptoms. And of course, there was also
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the voice that Scott heard because at one point he reported hearing that voice whisper, "Welcome to the side of evil."
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With all of this in mind, Dr. Santina believed that on the night of the murders, Scott had entered a
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dissociative episode which detached him from reality. To her, this was the fractured experience of a schizophrenic
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mind and not simply a cold-blooded murderer. She therefore testified that Scott was legally insane at the time of
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the killings and that furthermore he couldn't distinguish what was right from wrong due to his psychosis. And of
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course, this meant that under New Jersey law, he should not be held criminally responsible. To further support this
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conclusion, she pointed to a family history that was riddled with mental illness. All of the genetic pieces, in
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her view, were there, and the family's illness had simply taken root in Scott the deepest. However, not everybody
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agreed with her findings. In fact, even Dr. Santina herself admitted there were
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gaps. She did admit that she had never prescribed any medication for Scott schizophrenia, and perhaps even more
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critically, that most of her diagnosis rested on self-reports. To challenge the
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defense team's claims of schizophrenia, the prosecution brought in one of the most well-known forensic psychiatrists
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in the United States. And I am even sure that some of you know who this guy is because of course it was Dr. Park
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Deetsz. If that name sounds familiar, it should because Dr. Dietz has testified
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in some of the country's most highprofile criminal trials. This included Jeffrey Dharma, John Hinckley
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Jr. and countless others. And in the case of Scott Colloji, Dr. Dietz left no
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room for doubt. Not only did he not believe that Scott was schizophrenic or psychotic, but he didn't believe that he
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had a tumor that impaired his thinking either. Instead, he diagnosed Scott with autism spectrum disorder, which was
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further marked by obsessive compulsive traits. According to him, Scott wasn't delusional at all. Instead, he was seen
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as rigid, socially awkward, and highly rulebound. He also said that at most
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Scott may have experienced a brief psychological phenomenon called depersonalization
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which is a form of dissociation. However, Dr. Dietz was also quick to clarify that dissociation is not
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insanity. And according to him, Scott absolutely knew what he was doing. He highlighted his methodology which
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included his research, his preparation, and his long wait in the dark. To him,
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this was not the behavior of someone who was lost in hallucinations or even trapped in any sort of psychotic spiral.
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Instead, it was plain and simple. This was intentional.
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The jury's task here was huge because they would basically have to determine if Scott was guilty or insane. And over
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the days of testimony, they would hear professional opinions on both sides. But in February of 2022, and after less than
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5 hours of deliberations, the verdict finally came in. They found Scott Colloji guilty on all counts of
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first-degree murder and a weapons charge. And Scott, who was now 20 years old, sat in silence as the judge imposed
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one of the harshest sentences ever given to a juvenile. He received 150 years
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behind bars. By law, he has to serve at least 127 years and 6 months of that
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sentence before even being given a chance of parole, which basically means, yeah, he's not ever walking free again.
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Now, of course, his defense team would argue for leniency, trying to insist to the judge that mental illness was the
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driving force for these murders. Off the back of that, they tried to apply for a minimum 30-year term instead, pointing
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towards his age and his psychological struggles. However, as recently as this year, 2025, his appeal has been denied.
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And to be honest, it's not likely to ever change. Now, if I'm honest with you, the case of Scott Colloji leaves
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far more conflicting feelings than it does resolution for me. I mean, the warning signs had always been there.
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We're talking hallucinations, dark jokes, and desperate pleas for help. Yet, even still, there was never any
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sort of real intervention. And I think that's probably why Scott's outcome does
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not quite sit right with me here. Personally, I don't think the justice system was fully understanding of his
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mental state. And they certainly discredited the fact that this young teen had been asking for help for years.
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Help which also seems to have been shut down by his parents multiple times. It is obvious why too, because out of love
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and fear, his mother hid his struggles because she was terrified that he'd be institutionalized. In the end, she was
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only trying to protect him. However, that may have also sealed the family's fate. And ironically, he is now
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somewhere that is much worse than an institution. Now, don't get me wrong, because I do believe that whatever the
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situation, Scott should not be free and mingling with the public because it's obvious that he is undeniably mentally
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ill and an extreme danger to the public. However, it does seem that he lived in a blurred reality and was haunted by
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delusions and paranoia and also he was consistently asking for help. So, is
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prison really right for Scott? Well, I think the bar for illegal insanity is
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impossibly high. And I think it also depends on how much you believe he fits that category.
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For the surviving collojis, the aftermath was completely unbearable. Jonathan and Steven Jr. lost nearly
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everyone. Their parents, their sister, and in a way, their brother, too. Adrien
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buried his own son, daughter-in-law, and partner all at the same time. And now
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they are left only with memories and with questions that will never fade. The Colloji family did so much right by
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Scott. They loved him, supported him, and tried to give him a normal life. But
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unfortunately, love alone wasn't enough here. Because when mental illness is ignored or stigmatized, the consequences
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can be absolutely catastrophic.
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I think Scott's story is quite a tricky one because although I don't sympathize for him, I do recognize that there were
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plenty of mental health issues. And while I think it's easier to just simply call him a monster and lock him away, I
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think what's more important is to try to understand why all of this happened. and there really doesn't seem to be a motive
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here outside of his own mental health struggles. Those are just a few of my thoughts anyway, but of course, I'd like
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to end this story on saying how sad and sorry I am to hear that the Colloji family are now half gone. This truly is
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a heartbreaking story. Before I go, I'd love to know what you think about this case because I really do think this is
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one of those special stories where it is really hard to understand the motive. So, on that note, what do you think
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about Scott Colloji? And do you think he received the punishment he deserved? And
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with that said, I think that's pretty much the end of the video today, folks. But thank you so much for tuning in
38:29
today. Thanks again to Raycon for sponsoring this video. For up to 30% off, go to byracon.com/copyhouse
38:35
crimeyt. As always, if you want to support the channel, then please do consider subscribing. And you can also
38:40
find me on social media, most notably on my Instagram here. And don't forget, we are now on Spotify. And yeah, that's
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pretty much it today, folks. Thank you again for watching. And as always, I'll see you again very shortly for another
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one, likely next week by now. Anyway, thank you again. And in the meantime,
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make sure that you look after yourselves and each other. Oh, and stay safe and stay curious. Thank you and goodbye.