Boy, 11, led to court in handcuffs accused of killing stepdad over Nintendo
This is the extraordinary moment an 11-year-old boy was led into court wearing handcuffs accused of murdering his stepdad after having his Nintendo Switch confiscated.
Clayton Dietz was flanked by probation officers who escorted him into a Pennsylvania courthouse to face his first hearing on Thursday.
The schoolboy has been charged as an adult with criminal homicide after fatally shooting his adoptive father, Douglas Dietz, 42, on January 13.
But lawyers representing the child have asked the judge to consider transferring his case back to a juvenile court, local outlet CBS 21 reported.
Clayton appeared emotionless as he was pulled into the building and was captured tripping over himself while appearing in court.
The boy has been accused of shooting Douglas in the head as he slept, using a gun he found in his parents’ bedroom at their home in Duncannon Borough.
The shooting was allegedly prompted after Clayton became upset that his parents had taken away his Nintendo Switch.
The 11-year-old rummaged through a safe located in his parents’ bedroom, believing it contained his games console, but found a revolver instead.
Parents Douglas and Jillian celebrated their son’s birthday the evening before the fatal shooting.
According to court documents, Jillian told police she was woken by a loud noise and could smell something similar to fireworks.
When she attempted to wake her husband and got no response, she noticed what she thought was water dripping on the floor, which she later realised was blood, the documents said.
Clayton told officers he became angry after being told to go to bed, the affidavit said.
Police said the schoolboy entered his parents’ bedroom shouting ‘Daddy’s dead’, and officers at the scene reported hearing the boy tell his mother: ‘I killed Daddy’.
Following the hearing, Clayton’s defence lawyer told CBS 21 reporters his goal will be to ‘try and get him into juvenile court’.
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