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Boy, 8, Mulling Deal in Dad's Death

Deal linked to 3 mental evaluations of boy who killed dad

By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 30, 2008 10:33 AM CST
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(Newser) – An 8-year-old Arizona boy who is accused of shooting his father and a tenant to death is considering a plea deal in the double killing, reports the Arizona Republic. "We would have to decide if that's something in our client's best interest, and it's too early to be able to say that," said the boy's attorney.

The plea deal, whose details have not been released, means the case couldn't be transferred at a later date to adult court, the attorney said. The deal is contingent on the results of three upcoming mental evaluations of the boy. The child pumped bullets into the two men at his home earlier this month. The boy told police he had vowed to kill his father after he had been spanked 1,000 times.

Police Chief Roy Melnick poses at the St. Johns police station in Arizona, where an 8-year-old boy confessed to shooting to death his father and a tenant.
Police Chief Roy Melnick poses at the St. Johns police station in Arizona, where an 8-year-old boy confessed to shooting to death his father and a tenant.   (AP Photo/Dana Felthauser)
Prosecutors have filed documents in the Apache County Court offering a plea deal to an 8-year-old boy charged with murder in the shooting deaths of his father and a tenant in their Arizona home.
Prosecutors have filed documents in the Apache County Court offering a plea deal to an 8-year-old boy charged with murder in the shooting deaths of his father and a tenant in their Arizona home.   (AP Photo/Dana Felthauser, FILE)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
Guest
Dec 1, 2008 12:07 AM CST
Sounds like a smart Mom, or Dad
Guest
Nov 30, 2008 11:56 PM CST
Well, my kid was eight when he learned how to shoot. It's NOT that uncommon. He also got his first .22 when he was nine. Again, not uncommon. What's EFFED is that the kid had access to a gun and bullets! Sure, my kid knew how to shoot and "owned" a gun, but the trigger was locked and the ammo hidden elsewhere unless we were going shooting together.
OWLWOMANXXXX
Nov 30, 2008 4:37 AM CST
m more appalled than sad...this so called Dad" taught his eight ea old how to shoot a gun..Some how thekid learned to hate his dad...and bang bang..Now some adults are railroading him into confessions...who is representing this kid?

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