10-year-old boy confesses to fatally shooting a man in his sleep 2 years ago, Texas authorities say
10-year-old boy confesses to fatally shooting a man in his sleep 2 years ago, Texas authorities say
Authorities in Texas say a 10-year-old boy has confessed to an unsolved 2022 killing, telling investigators that he shot a man he did not know while the victim slept.
Brandon O’Quinn Rasberry, 32, was shot in the head in 2022 while he slept at an RV park in Nixon, Texas, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of San Antonio, investigators said. He had just moved in a few days before.
The boy’s possible connection to the case was uncovered after sheriff’s deputies were contacted on April 12 of this year about a student who threatened to assault and kill another student on a school bus. They learned the boy had made previous statements that he had killed someone two years ago.
The boy was taken to a child advocacy center, where he described for interviewers details of Rasberry’s death “consistent with first-hand knowledge” of the crime, investigators said.
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The boy said his grandfather later sold the pistol. Deputies located it at a pawn shop. Shell casings from the previous crime scene were matched to the gun, investigators said.
Even considering that, I have concerns about how the police questioning of a ten year old was handled.
It says he was taken to a child advocacy center. Whatever that is
I assume it was done properly though, messing up a murder investigation when it's basically a slam dunk would be pretty damning if it turns out they mishandled it.
A child advocacy center has specially trained staff (therapists) who do forensic interviews and provide therapy, mainly to kids enduring the aftermath of abuse and neglect. They work closely with the police and the prosecutor to get the case resolved and many also provide therapy dogs to go to court with the kids.
I haven't heard of them interviewing a kid suspected of a crime but perhaps it is their protocol for a kid this young.
Hold on, did the grandfather know about this?
Be pretty weird to spontaneously sell your glovebox gun otherwise, right?
But obviously in Texas you can't hold someone responsible for storing a gun in a location a child could get to, and even (most likely) knowingly selling a murder weapon doesn't warrant a second look.