Warning: This article contains details which some readers may find distressing.
A teenager who murdered his mother and dumped her body in a nature reserve used an AI chatbot for advice on how to carry out the killing.
In October 2025 Tristan Roberts, 18, violently attacked and killed his mother Angela Shellis, 45, with a hammer at Morfa Nature Reserve in Prestatyn during the early hours of the morning.
Her body was discovered later in the day on 24 October by dog walkers, after a trail of blood along a gravel path led to an undergrowth covering her remains.
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Police began to suspect Roberts after a neighbour's doorbell footage revealed he had left the house at around 3am with his mother.
Roberts was then arrested on suspicion of killing his mother, with a subsequent investigation revealing the teenager had expressed violent fantasies online and even consulted an AI chatbot for advice on how to kill his mother.
Violent fantasies shared online
Accounts linked to Roberts on the social media platform Discord reveal that he'd regularly posted misogynistic views as well as violent tendencies and an obsession with 2000 film American Psycho.
"i do hate girls … girls/women i also dont trust them" read one message from Roberts, while another alluding to the death of his mother, reading: "she is gonna just vanish off the earth … now its time."
"I can kill her bare-handed. I only want to make it brutal and make sure I don't mess up with an axe," a third message read.
On the night of his mother's murder, Roberts updated his profile status to 'Tonight's the night'. In a message posted after her death, he wrote: "I’ve just had the craziest day."
It's understood that Roberts had been banned numerous times from the messaging platform for violating its code of conduct but had made new accounts each time.
In a response given to the BBC, Discord said it was 'deeply saddened by the circumstances surrounding this case' and was 'committed to helping keep our users safe'.
Meanwhile a note recovered on Roberts' laptop by police illustrated his reasoning behind killing his mother. Referring to himself as 'Tristan Roberts, but Alex' the teenager blamed his mother for his 'entire life', claiming it was 'a s**t show of f***ing hell, just hell... abandonment, betrayal, bullied, nearly froze to death, physical effort, suffering'.
He went on to write: "All of it and most caused by one person, and not myself.
"And now that one person, not out of sadistic pleasure or malice, but out of revenge, justice, vengeance and… to move forwards in life, I must take the weight off my back.
"Even if it hurts. There is no use living anymore if I don't do this. I am already dead."
Murder tips from an AI chatbot
The investigation also revealed that Roberts had consulted an AI chatbot for advice on his actions.
The teenager entered queries into an AI chatbot looking for advice on what to do as an 'inexperienced killer'. When the chatbot refused to answer, he claimed that it was research for a book he was writing in order to get answers.
Police recover recording from the murder
Roberts had also recorded the entire ordeal on a Dictaphone, which led police to conclude that he'd kept Shellis prisoner in her room for nearly four hours after being initially attacked.
He then tricked her into believing they were going to find medical help. The pair then left the house together, with Shellis forced to wear a balaclava, and walked to the nature reserve.
The recording also captured Shellis' final moments as well as Roberts' initial comments after the killing, when he can be heard saying: "Oh God, that was terrifying, that felt so crazy... I just killed her... job's done."
Roberts answered 'no comment' when questioned by police before ultimately pleading guilty to his crimes.
A court in Mold has since sentenced him to life with a minimum term of 22-and-a-half years.
During his sentencing remarks, Judge Rhys Rowlands noted that Roberts, who'd previously been diagnosed with autism and ADHD, was 'not suffering from any significant mental disorder such as would have had a substantial impact upon your behaviour at the time you killed your mother' following guidance from medical professionals.
"Rather you would have known what you were doing and been able to exercise self control. As such, whilst I don't discount or ignore your mental health, it is a feature and does mitigate your behaviour," he added.
Topics: Artificial Intelligence, UK News, Crime
Brenna Cooper