by Dennis Wagner - Nov. 7, 2008 02:35 PM
The Arizona Republic
An 8-year-old boy in the rural community of St. Johns may face double-murder charges in the shooting death of his father and another man at the family residence, according to Police Chief Roy Melnick.
The child is being held in juvenile custody for a hearing Friday afternoon in Apache County Justice Court. His 29-year-old father, whose name is being withheld by The Arizona Republic to avoid identifying the boy, and a boarder at their home, Tim Romans, 39, were found dead at the family residence Wednesday shortly after neighbors reported the sound of gunfire, Melnick said.
The White Mountain Independent newspaper described the slayings as "a shocking tragedy" that rocked the eastern Arizona town of about 3,800 people.
Melnick said police arrived at the residence within minutes of the shooting to find one of the victims deceased just outside the front door and the other dead in an upstairs room.
Arizona law generally holds that a child lacks competency to be held responsible for a homicide. However, Melnick said, "We think an exception can be made based on the facts and circumstances … This is precedent-setting. We're going to charge an 8-year-old with two counts of homicide."
The hearing was scheduled at 3 p.m. Friday.
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