15-Year-Old Held After Bodies of Younger Siblings Found Stabbed to Death
A 15-year-old boy is being held in connection with the deaths of his two younger brothers, ages 4 and 10, after they were reportedly stabbed to death in their home in West Point, Utah.
Davis County Sheriff Todd Richardson said that authorities believe the oldest sibling stabbed his younger brothers to death before leaving the home. He was found nearly five miles away in Layton, with traces of blood on his person and minor injuries consistent with being in an attack, officials said. The boy was taken to a mental hospital for evaluation and is currently being held in a juvenile detention facility.
"He spoke bluntly with our investigators," Richardson told the Associated Press.
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The boys' mother came home to find the 4-year-old dead on the floor; she immediately called 911. The woman thought that her two older boys were missing, but police found the body of the 10-year-old inside the home; they then set out to locate the 15-year-old, whom they found before midnight.
"You see a lot of things," Sheriff Richardson said, "but it's hard to walk in there."
Attorney Troy Rawlings told the AP he was not ready to file charges against the young man but was waiting for more information before making a decision.
"There are more questions than answers at this point," Rawlings explained. "This teen in custody has a presumption of innocence. Facts are being gathered to assist with critical decisions."
The deaths have hit the community hard, especially given that the 15-year-old suspect is a member of the National Honors Society and a distance runner on the track team. He had no prior record of criminal activity, but police did reveal that he had ran away from home two or three years ago. Police found him approximately four miles away at a Wendy's restaurant.
"It's very sad," neighbor Lindsey Caballero told the AP. "It's scary. It goes to show you never know what's happening."
