An 11-year-old boy was arrested and charged with first-degree mu*der in connection with the demise of his five-year-old brother, Elias Reliford.
Authorities from the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office in Centennial, Colorado, responded to a call from a home in the 5200 block of South Jerico Way on Tuesday, March 10, at 5:30 p.m.
Upon arrival, they found the five-year-old had already passed away.
Highlights
- Authorities arrested and charged an 11-year-old with first-degree homicide after he emerged as a suspect in the demise of his five-year-old brother.
- Legal experts said that despite the case’s severity, prosecutors might not be allowed to seek a punitive penalty because of the suspect’s age.
- The boys’ family member admitted to being surprised by the “horrendous act,” as the two brothers had a very close relationship.
The next day, the Sheriff’s office said that his older brother had been identified as a suspect. The 11-year-old was taken into custody shortly afterward.
Experts have now weighed in on the potential fate of the 11-year-old. His family described his actions as “the most horrendous act” a human could commit on another.
First-degree charges point to “troubling” details, as per a criminal lawyer
Image credits: Facebook/Todd Reliford
Because the suspect is a juvenile, details of the incident were not released to the public, including the cause of Elias’ demise.
However, the Sheriff’s office did confirm that the minor suspect was being held at the Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center.
“Our hearts go out to the family of these two young boys and to everyone in our community who is grieving this loss,” Sheriff Tyler Brown said in a statement.
Image credits: Facebook/Todd Reliford
Jeff Weeden, a Colorado criminal defense lawyer specializing in juvenile crime, told the New York Post that the details of this case, if they ever came out, would surely be “very troubling” and “extraordinary.”
A first-degree homicide charge wouldn’t have been levied otherwise, he said.
“There are probably very troubling facts and circumstances,” Weeden said. “I’ve never heard of it. It doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened, but I think it’s extremely unusual.”
Image credits: Facebook/Todd Reliford
Given the suspect’s age, prosecutors would have to prove he “intended to cause de*th, that there was some level of reflection” against the defense’s argument of the boy being “far too immature to form the requisite elements of first-degree m*rder,” Weeden explained.
“The defense will say [young children] don’t have the maturity to do any of that, that this is impulsivity. They don’t even have the ability to have an adult level of intent.”
Image credits: CBS
Weeden further added that juvenile cases seek rehabilitation-focused solutions, rather than a “punitive component,” but prosecutors might be under pressure to “act more aggressively” in this one.
The accused may get up to seven years in prison, according to a legal analyst
Image credits: CBS
Christopher Decker, a legal analyst with FOX31 Denver, provided additional context for the upcoming trial.
He labeled this a “highly unique case,” saying, “I cannot think of another case that comes to mind of an 11-year-old who may be facing a charge of mu*der in the first degree.”
Under current Colorado law, the suspect could not be prosecuted as an adult because of his age, Decker said. The case would remain in juvenile court, which wouldn’t allow for harsh penalties.
“The minimum age for a juvenile to be transferred to adult court is 12 years old,” Decker offered. “In a situation like this, where we have an 11-year-old, the prosecution’s options to transfer the case to adult court are not there.”
“The juvenile law process would allow prosecutors to seek up to a seven-year sentence for a juvenile for aggravated crimes.”
Image credits: Facebook/Todd Reliford
However, because of the severity of the alleged crime, cases like this might push for potential changes in the law. He added: “There’s no doubt that a case like this — or what it appears to be — may be the type of case that some would champion for legislative change.”
A first-degree homicide charge for adults in Colorado carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
One family member opened up about the relationship between the two brothers
Image credits: Facebook/Todd Reliford
In the family’s first public statement since the tragedy, the boys’ great-aunt, Dawn Myles, spoke to WTSP on April 3 on behalf of the parents, who were too devastated to appear on camera.
She also set up a GoFundMe page for the family to help cover the cost of Elias’ funeral and other expenses.
Image credits: Facebook/Todd Reliford
Myles told the outlet that Elias was a “very outgoing” child who “just loved being outside.” He was a kindergartener who loved doing pranks and playing with fire trucks.
He also rode his bike through their neighborhood and was often accompanied by his brother, the suspect.
“If you saw one brother, you saw the other one,” Myles revealed, adding that the two were “attached at the hip.”
Image credits: Facebook/Todd Reliford
The family revealed in the interview that the incident took place in the afternoon, when Elias was napping after school, and his older brother was asked to do some chores.
“Then that’s when everything happened — during that time that he was asleep,” Myles said.
Image credits: Facebook/Fam First
She further described the alleged crime as “the most horrendous act that a human could commit on another human, especially a child.”
“We would have never imagined the big brother that he was would hurt Elias,” she said.
Image credits: Facebook/Fam First
The family is currently on the move after they packed up their previous home, unable to stay where the incident happened. They are currently staying in hotels, searching for more permanent housing.
The two boys have another older sibling, a 12-year-old brother, who is with other family members in Louisiana.
"I feel for the mother." The internet weighed in on the arrest of an 11-year-old boy for the homicide of his younger brother
