Jane Young, a longtime math teacher at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, had retired in January and with this trip “was looking forward to a change,” one neighbor recalled.

SUDBURY — A week ago, Jane and Kenneth Young and their son, Mikhail, arrived at the Crystal Cove Beach Resort on St. Thomas for a family vacation, authorities said.

By Tuesday afternoon, Mikhail Brian Young, 24, stood accused of the murder of his parents, Massachusetts authorities said.

“This is a horrific crime where the suspect allegedly killed his own parents,” Sudbury Police Chief Scott Nix said in a statement. “The Sudbury Police Department is working closely with officials in the US Virgin Islands.”


Mikhail Young was arraigned Tuesday in Framingham District Court on a fugitive from justice charge that stemmed from a warrant issued by authorities in St. Thomas.

Jane, 66, and Kenneth, 73, were found stabbed to death inside the rental vacation home the Sudbury family checked into April 28, Virgin Islands Police Commissioner Delroy Richards Sr. said.

At 2:28 p.m. Monday, police received a call from a resident who had discovered an unresponsive person covered in blood inside the unit, Richards said.

Police discovered a second body in a bathtub, he said.

Authorities immediately tried to locate Young but soon learned he had rushed into the resort and requested that staff call a cab, Richards said. Young was driven to a local airport, where he caught a flight to Philadelphia before connecting to a Boston-bound flight, the Virgin Islands police official said.

Less than six hours after police were notified about the gruesome discovery, the US Virgin Islands Police Department contacted police in Sudbury and told them they were looking for Mikhail Young.

Young was found on Boston Post Road in Sudbury, according to a police report. Initially, authorities placed him under arrest for violating probation on an earlier charge of indecent exposure, according to the office of Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan.


According to earlier reports from the news website Patch.com and a Sudbury police log, Mikhail, who had been adopted from Russia with his sister by the Youngs, was arrested in 2010 on charges of domestic assault and battery.

In 2011, Sudbury police responded to a call about a domestic disturbance at the family’s home, where Young became combative with officers, the Patch.com report said. While resisting arrest, the report said, Young allegedly threatened to kill the officers, who were forced to use pepper spray. In that case, he was charged with domestic assault and battery against a parent and assault and battery of a police officer.

In the Sudbury police report related to the current case, Mikhail Young is said to have a history of mental illness.

Jane Young Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School

Two neighbors, including Graham Taylor, said the couple adopted Young and his older sister, Beth, from Russia when the two were younger. They had been placed in an orphanage in Russia after their mother died and their father could not care for them, said the other neighbor, who did not want to be identified because of the nature of the case.

Young was on medication and receiving help for his psychological problems, neighbors said.

“When he went off his meds, that was when there were violent episodes,” said the woman, adding that Beth would sleep at her home whenever Young turned violent.


“They did their darnedest to get him help,” Taylor, 90, said of the Youngs. “He got abusive, certainly verbally and maybe physically” with his adoptive parents.

He added that Young at times had to move out of his parents’ house because of his behavior.

Neighbors said Young had worked in the past at an auto body repair shop, for a landscaper, and part time several years ago at the Nashoba Valley ski area.

The couple’s death shocked the close-knit community in Sudbury, where neighbors and former students recalled Jane Young’s dedication to her teaching.

She had taught at Lincoln-Sudbury for 17 years.

“Mrs. Young was one of those teachers with a tremendously large heart,” said Isaac Feldberg, 19, a student at Northeastern University, who took a statistics class with Jane Young. “She loved teaching mathematics. She pushed students to do better and to be more passionate about math.”

Lincoln-Sudbury Superintendent Bella Wong said the district is mourning a longtime colleague and friend.

“She faithfully served our school community in and out of the classroom with special attention to struggling students,” Wong said. “A mark of Jane’s instruction was her genuine enthusiasm and boundless generous spirit. She was known to be able to challenge and nurture students at all levels and able to motivate students to want to work hard.”

Avery Katz, 17, a senior at the school, said Jane Young was his teacher freshman year. Katz recalled having a difficult time in her geometry class.

“She studied with me one-on-one,” he said. “She didn’t mind doing what it took. She was very passionate about her work and her students.”


To show his gratitude, he bought her a gardening tool set.

Neighbors and school staff said Jane Young loved gardening and took care of the flower beds outside Lincoln-Sudbury High. Kenneth Young had worked as an accountant.

Connie Marotta, 51, said her son, a student at Lincoln-Sudbury, had texted her earlier in the day about the news and said the principal told students counselors would be available.

“So many people had her as a teacher,” Marotta said. “It’s devastating for the community.”

Globe correspondent Rebecca Fiore contributed to this report. Jan Ransom can be reached at jan.ransom@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jan_Ransom. Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.