Illinois Man Admits to Murder After Stepfather Found in Cabinet, Mother in Freezer Inside U-Haul: Officials

An Illinois man accused of killing his mother and stepfather accepted a plea deal that required him to admit to only his stepfather’s murder, officials said.

On May 22, Maxim Parnov, 37, pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Peter Almen, 64, as part of the deal. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop charges in connection with the death of his 56-year-old mother, Elvira Almen, allowing him to avoid a life sentence without the possibility of parole, the Daily Herald reported.

He must now serve all of a 50-year jail term before he can be released.

On Nov. 29, 2021, authorities believe Parnov had been in an argument with the couple when he attacked them in their Algonquin home.

According to an indictment, Parnov killed his mother and stepfather using blunt force trauma. He then, authorities said, hid his stepfather’s body in a cabinet and put his mother in a freezer, both of which he loaded onto a U-Haul truck.

Officers responding to a wellbeing check made the grisly discovery of the couple’s bodies after Peter Almen failed to show up for work.

Parnov was captured in Wisconsin a week after the murders.

He is due back in court on June 20 for a court hearing.