Eight-year-old charged with murder: Alabama Girl Killed
Police say an 8-year-old Alabama boy is charged with beating a 1-year-old girl to death while they were left home alone.
Birmingham police spokesman Sean Edwards says that a murder warrant has been obtained against the boy and that 26-year-Katerra Lewis also is charged with manslaughter in the death of her daughter, 1-year-old Kelci Lewis.
“The 8-year-old just recklessly, viciously dealt with the 1-year-old,” the spokesman, Lt. Sean Edwards, said at a news conference on Tuesday,
Police say several children ranging from age 2 to 8 were left home alone while Katerra Lewis and a friend went to a nightclub Oct. 11.
Edwards says the girl began crying while the children were alone, and the boy attacked her. Edwards says the two weren’t related.
Police say the girl suffered severe head trauma and major damage to her internal organs.
Lieutenant Edwards said officials thought that the charge against Ms. Lewis might signal to other parents that they could be prosecuted in similar cases.
One-year-old Kelci Lewis. (Hunstville Times)
“Most mothers that I know would have never done something like this,” Lieutenant Edwards said, “but it definitely sends the message that this type of behavior, this type of irresponsibility on behalf of a parent is totally unacceptable.”
Family members attended a candlelight vigil for Kelci on 20 October, where the victim’s grandmother, Waynetta Callens, told the Huntsville Times that Kelci was “loved by so many”. Katerra Lewis attended but was too distraught to speak, the Times reported.
Lewis has posted $15,000 bond, and the boy is in state custody.
Do you think an eight-year-old should be charged with murder? Let us know in the comment section below.
No way should that boy be charged. He is not mature enough to understand the whole situation. The mother of the boy needs to be charged.
He should be charged of murder because he is old enough to understand that he should not of hurt her if he new. His parents can be charged some because they left the kids alone and some one got killed because of that. The boy needs to be taken some where for a very long time.
That’s a hard on, part of me wants say yes, most 8 yr olds should know good from bad…yes and no, right and wrong. Most 8 yrs old have been disciplined by their parents/guardians from time of birth. Riddle me this…when do human beings realize they have free will to do whatever they want. I believe somewhere in his mind he had to know that it was wrong. But children have a tendency to mimic their environment, their culture and or video games, sadly.
The other half of me says no he shouldn’t, but should seek some kind of counseling and allow him to stay with a family member who is responsible, unlike his mother. This is going to follow him for the rest of his life he has a long road ahead of him…in closing let me just say this…for those of you that know and believe in the word of God know that these are the “end times”, revelations states this, anything can happen.