Boy, 11, Found Dead, Stepdad Held

Curtis Lopez killed the boy after murdering his mom, say cops
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 19, 2011 12:44 AM CDT
Updated Oct 19, 2011 2:10 AM CDT
Boy, 11, Found Dead, Stepdad Held
Curtis Lopez has been charged with the murder of William McQuain's mom, and will now also be charged in the boy's murder, according to law enforcement sources.   (AP Photo/Mecklenburg County, NC, Sheriff's Office)

The body of a missing 11-year-old Maryland boy has been found in woods near his home. Popular athlete William McQuain was murdered by his stepdad shortly after the man killed the boy's mother, investigators believe. The grisly remains found by a police dog dashed the hopes of friends, family and searchers desperate to find the boy alive, even after his mother had been found stabbed to death early this month. “This confirmed our worst fears,” William's All-Star Little League coach told the Washington Post. “He was a great kid."

Stepdad Curtis Lopez fought often with William's mom, according to friends. During a family trip to Ocean City last month, Jane McQuain called a pal to say she was afraid of Lopez. Responding to friends' concerns, police checked McQuain's home and found her dead. The home was filled with photos of William, his awards and trophies, but there was no sign of the boy. “The apartment was like a shrine to him,” said a law enforcement source. Lopez has been charged with Jane McQuain's murder, and will now also be charged in William's death, investigators said. (More Jane McQuain stories.)

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