Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Colorado Prosecutors Charge 11-Year-Old With First-Degree Murder in 5-Year-Old Brother's Death

The rare juvenile case will proceed in closed court with few details released.

Overview

  • Prosecutors in Arapahoe County filed a first-degree murder charge against the boy over the death of his 5-year-old brother, Elias.
  • Media reports say the younger child was killed in his sleep in early March after the brothers returned home from school.
  • The 11-year-old is being held in juvenile detention, and a juvenile-court conviction could mean up to seven years in custody.
  • Hearings are expected to be closed to protect the minor and family, and officials have not released a motive or method.
  • Defense attorneys call the charge extremely unusual and say prosecutors must prove the child intended to kill.