The Los Angeles Post
U.S. World Business Lifestyle
Today: April 07, 2025
Today: April 07, 2025

Webster DA: 11-year-old is youngest ever prosecuted in parish

September 04, 2024
Web staff - KTBS

    MINDEN, Louisiana (KTBS) -- A 11-year-old boy accused of killing his mother and grandfather in Minden Sunday is the youngest defendant Webster District Attorney Schuyler Marvin's office has ever prosecuted.

Through an arrangement reached years ago, prosecution of the child will go through Minden City Court, where Assistant District Attorney Jimbo Yocum will handle the case. Yocum also serves as the city of Mindenโ€™s attorney.

Marvin said the confession from the child should cause the case to move through court fairly quickly. But no court dates have been set.

Killed in the shootings were Joe Cornelius, 82, and his daughter, Keisha Miles, 31.

Minden police initially said the shooter was 10 years old. However, at a Tuesday afternoon news conference, Police Chief Jared McIver said they've since learned the child is 11.

Cornelius and Miles were shot multiple times with two different weapons that were found hidden on the property. Calibers of both match empty shell casings found on the scene, McIver said.

The child was on the scene when officers arrived. "He gave us a story at first that just didn't add up," McIver said.

The interview continued and the child confessed, McIver said.

Even as serious as the case is, the child cannot be prosecuted as an adult, Marvin said.

โ€œYou canโ€™t bump it up to adult court until age 14,โ€ Marvin said.

Age 10 is the cutoff for criminal culpability, he said, meaning anyone younger than that canโ€™t be held criminally responsible for a crime.

If convicted, the child would only spend either up to age 18 or 21 in a juvenile facility.

He's charged with two counts of first-degree murder and is held in Ware Youth Center in Coushatta on bonds totaling $500,000.

Marvin expects autopsy results for Cornelius and Miles to be in hand by weekโ€™s end. With that and the confession, โ€œweโ€™ll pretty much have everything in line,โ€ Marvin said.

The child has only been living with Cornelius for about a month. He and Miles moved from Houston.

As far as a motive, McIver said that's something that's still being determined.

"A lot of questions have arisen about what is the 'why' behind it. We do not know that yet. We are still piecing the puzzle pieces together. There is a lot of pieces to put together, a lot of evidence. We still got a little ways to go," McIver said.

Still, McIver added, "Who knows why someone would do something this malicious at that age."

Related Articles

Mother speaks out after daughter is found dead on highway and boyfriend is charged Chicago man charged in 6 murders authorities say he committed within one year as a teen Arrest made after woman's body found in trash can Missing man found dead in storage container
Share This

Popular

Americas|Crime|Political|US

Supreme Court allows Trump to deport Venezuelans under wartime law, but only after judges' review

Supreme Court allows Trump to deport Venezuelans under wartime law, but only after judges' review
Crime|Political|US

US Justice Department repeals Biden-era 'zero tolerance' policy for gun dealers

US Justice Department repeals Biden-era 'zero tolerance' policy for gun dealers
Americas|Business|Crime|Political

Panama's comptroller office to sue over renewal of CK Hutchison contract

Panama's comptroller office to sue over renewal of CK Hutchison contract
Crime|Health|MidEast|Political|World

โ€˜Dad, help meโ€ฆ we were targeted by the Israelisโ€™: Audio and video capture last moments of aid workers killed in Gaza

โ€˜Dad, help meโ€ฆ we were targeted by the Israelisโ€™: Audio and video capture last moments of aid workers killed in Gaza

Crime

Crime|US

Idaho mom who killed 2 of her kids goes on trial over death of her husband

Idaho mom who killed 2 of her kids goes on trial over death of her husband
Africa|Americas|Crime|Political|World

UN mission details deadly attacks in Haiti's capital and questions government's delayed response

UN mission details deadly attacks in Haiti's capital and questions government's delayed response
Crime|Health|MidEast|Political|World

Middle East latest: Israel kills a journalist in a media tent outside a Gaza hospital

Middle East latest: Israel kills a journalist in a media tent outside a Gaza hospital
Celebrity|Crime|Entertainment|US

Sex abuse trial of former 'Dances with Wolves' actor in Nevada is again postponed

Sex abuse trial of former 'Dances with Wolves' actor in Nevada is again postponed

Access this article for free.

Already have an account? Sign In