Wait, What? Family of Teen Who Shot Leftist Journalist Josh Kruger Alleges Pedophile Relationship with Shooter

A strange development has emerged in the death of left-leaning journalist and former city official Josh Kruger, who was fatally shot inside his Philadelphia home earlier this month.

In a surprising twist, the family of Robert Davis, the 19-year-old accused of killing 39-year-old Kruger, has come forward to claim the two men had been involved in a years-long drug-fueled gay relationship before Kruger threatened to release revenge porn against Davis.

What’s more, the family says Kruger’s dalliance with Davis was a pedophilic one as it began when Davis was merely 15.

The Philadelphia Inquirer has more details, which they obtained through interviews with Davis’ mother and brother:

The family of Robert Davis, 19, who is accused of killing local journalist Josh Kruger, said that Davis was just 15 when he and Kruger began a years-long relationship involving drugs — and that Davis told them Kruger was threatening to post sexually explicit videos of him online before, police say, Davis shot Kruger.

Those assertions by Davis’ mother and older brother in recent interviews with The Inquirer add troubling new complexities to a killing that has garnered national attention. Their account, they said, is drawn from recent conversations with Davis, and from the years of watching his life unravel as he tried to keep the relationship and his drug addiction hidden.

Kruger, 39, was killed after a man entered his Point Breeze home in the middle of the night, police said, and shot him seven times at the base of his stairs. Surveillance video near the scene and tips from Kruger’s friends and family led detectives to Davis, and a warrant was issued for his arrest a few days later. Police described the pair as acquaintances, and said Kruger “was trying to help [Davis] get through life.”

The family’s contentions come as detectives separately discovered and are investigating what multiple law enforcement sources have called explicit photos and messages in Kruger’s phone. The sources, who requested anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, did not say whether the images or messages were connected to Davis, but said they were “disturbing” and have been turned over to the department’s Special Victims Unit for further analysis.

Davis’ mother, Danica Davis, further claimed she’d received a phone call from her son shortly after her home was raided by police, where he claimed Kruger tried to coerce him to do something.

“He was scared,” the mother explained. “He said ‘… He wanted me to do some stuff I didn’t want to do and if I didn’t do it, he said he was going to blackmail me.’”

Police are still searching for Davis, and are urging him to turn himself in.

News of Kruger’s alleged criminal activity alarmed many online.