A 22-year-old Hixson man cut up his parents with a chainsaw after shooting them, police said.

Phillip Badowski has confessed to killing both his parents, Chattanooga Police said late Thursday.

They said Badowski first said his parents, 47-year-old Chester A. Badowski Jr. and 46-year-old Christine Badowski, were not at home. After the bodies were found in the bathroom of the upscale home at 6409 Fox Den Lane, he later changed his story.

Sources said Badowski first cut up his mother with a chainsaw and was in the process of cutting up his father when police arrived.

He allegedly was going to put the dismembered bodies in some sort of container.

The chain on the saw used by the son finally broke.

He had some candles burning near where the bodies were found.

Police spokesman Tom Layne said Friday afternoon, "After the murder of his parents, Phillip Badowski abused their corpses using a chainsaw. Phillip cut his father several times and dismembered his mother."

The young Badowski had had a number of run-ins with the law. He was due to appear before General Session Court Judge Ron Durby next Friday. Now he is facing charges of first degree murder and abuse of a corpse at that hearing at 8:30 a.m.

Badowski faced a hearing on revoking probation for an earlier conviction on possession of drug paraphernalia. He has also had charges of driving without a license, driving on a revoked license, speeding, running a stop sign, and operating a boat without a license.

A little before 11 a.m. on Thursday, officers had responded to the Badowski home to check on the well-being of the residents. Co-workers of the Badowski family had arrived there to check on them after neither of them showed up for work and neither had called in sick.

A concerned neighbor came to the officers and said she had a key if they needed in. The officers knocked on the door several times and got no response. They also noticed that both of the Badowskis' cars were parked in the driveway.

The decision was made to make entry. Once they did so Phillip Badowski met them coming from the upstairs portion of the house.

Sgt. Tom Layne said, "Phillip told the officers that there was not anyone else at home and that his parents had gone out of town for a funeral. The officers asked if they could look around because they could smell smoke coming from upstairs. Phillip told them that would be fine.

"When they went upstairs, they discovered two bodies, one male and one female (the smoke smell was coming from several candles burning). Phillip was then taken into custody and transported to Police Services Center for questioning.

"Late Thursday, Phillip changed his story from having no idea why police came to the family home to making a full confession of killing both of his parents."

Badowski was charged with two counts of first degree murder and two counts of abuse of a corpse. Meanwhile, crime scene units continue to process the scene of the heinous double murder.

No one else was at home at the time of the murders.

Badowski was a student at Chattanooga State. He graduated from Hixson High in 2000.

The Badowskis have two other children - Russell, 24, and Jennifer, 19.

Mrs. Badowski was a nurse at Memorial Hospital's Harrison Medical Center, and Mr. Badowski was director of engineering at Alstom Power.

The Badowski couple had just returned from a mission trip to Haiti.

Phillip Badowski is being held without bond.