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Boy found responsible for killing neo-Nazi father | Boy found responsible for killing neo-Nazi father |
(35 minutes later) | |
A California boy has been found responsible for murder in the shooting death of his neo-Nazi father at age 10. | A California boy has been found responsible for murder in the shooting death of his neo-Nazi father at age 10. |
The ruling means that the boy, now 12, could be sent to a juvenile prison until age 23. | The ruling means that the boy, now 12, could be sent to a juvenile prison until age 23. |
Prosecutors argued he killed his father, Jeff Hall, 32, to stop him separating from the boy's stepmother. | Prosecutors argued he killed his father, Jeff Hall, 32, to stop him separating from the boy's stepmother. |
Defence lawyers said the boy, who had grown up in an abusive environment, was too young to know right from wrong when he pulled the trigger in May 2011. | Defence lawyers said the boy, who had grown up in an abusive environment, was too young to know right from wrong when he pulled the trigger in May 2011. |
Hall was shot at point-blank range as he slept on a sofa in the family's home. | Hall was shot at point-blank range as he slept on a sofa in the family's home. |
'Not naive' | 'Not naive' |
At issue in the case in Riverside County, 60 miles (96km) east of Los Angeles, was whether the boy acted with premeditation. | At issue in the case in Riverside County, 60 miles (96km) east of Los Angeles, was whether the boy acted with premeditation. |
In her ruling, Judge Jean Leonard said she had considered the boy's age, his understanding of the crime and his "long history of abuse and neglect". | In her ruling, Judge Jean Leonard said she had considered the boy's age, his understanding of the crime and his "long history of abuse and neglect". |
Jeff Hall was the regional director for a neo-Nazi group called the National Socialist Movement, and had led Nazi-style rallies in his hometown of Riverside, California, according to the Press-Enterprise newspaper. | |
However, prosecutors said Hall's white supremacist beliefs had nothing to do with the son's crime. | |
Judge Leonard said that while the boy had grown-up "exposed to guns, hate and violence in his home", he knew right from wrong. | |
"This was not a naive boy," Judge Leonard said, according to NBC Los Angeles. "[He] knew what he was doing was wrong at the time of the crime." | "This was not a naive boy," Judge Leonard said, according to NBC Los Angeles. "[He] knew what he was doing was wrong at the time of the crime." |
The boy's younger sister supported the prosecution's case by saying that her brother had planned the shooting days in advance. | The boy's younger sister supported the prosecution's case by saying that her brother had planned the shooting days in advance. |
The boy had also told police he did not expect to get in trouble because he had seen an episode of the television show Criminal Minds in which a child killed an abusive father and was not arrested. | The boy had also told police he did not expect to get in trouble because he had seen an episode of the television show Criminal Minds in which a child killed an abusive father and was not arrested. |
Prosecutors noted that the boy had a history of violence dating back to nursery school, when he stabbed a teacher with a pencil. | Prosecutors noted that the boy had a history of violence dating back to nursery school, when he stabbed a teacher with a pencil. |
He will be sentenced next month, and his defence lawyer said he hoped his client would be placed in a private facility that offers therapy and schooling, rather than a juvenile detention centre. | He will be sentenced next month, and his defence lawyer said he hoped his client would be placed in a private facility that offers therapy and schooling, rather than a juvenile detention centre. |