PA - Helen Novak, 90, slain, 10yo charged, Wayne County, 11 Oct 2014

[Richrd]

Helen Novak, 90, Died Of Blunt Force Trauma To Her Neck.

Tyler Hill, Damascus Township, Wayne County, is in North-Eastern, PA

Day 4

Mon., Oct. 13th: http://www.poconorecord.com/article/20141013/NEWS/141019710:

"...the Crime of Homicide is specifically excluded from... Juvenile Code."

Tue., Oct. 14th: http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/mc-pa-boy-charged-with-homicide-1014-20141014-story.html:

Paraphrased - GRAPHIC:

Pushed a cane into her throat, then punched her five times in the throat, & five times in the stomach.

Forensic Pathologist - Autopsy Findings Consistent with Suspect's Revelations

Mon., Oct. 13th: http://wnep.com/2014/10/13/10-year-old-boy-charged-with-homicide-of-90-year-old-woman/:

Includes Video, & Suspect Photo

Mon., Oct. 13th: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/10/10-year-old_boy_charged_in_the.html#incart_river

Your One-Click Source* Of:

Charges --- Motions --- Court Dates

Lower Criminal Court Document*:

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/docketsheets/MDJReport.ashx?docketNumber=MJ-22304-CR-0000142-2014:

18 § 2501 §§ A (F1) -- Criminal Homicide
18 § 2702 §§ A 1 (F1) -- Aggravated Assault

Grades of PA Crimes:
H1 = Heinous / Murder of 1st Degree; H2
F1 = Felony of 1st Degree; F2; F3
M1 = Misdemeanor of 1st Degree; M2; M3
S = Summary

*Confinement Without Bail Since October 13th.

*"Recent entries made in the Court Filing Offices may not be
immediately reflected on these Docket Sheets..."

Historically, Most PA Cases Like These Are Closed-Out in Lower, Magisterial District Court,
then Advanced, with a New Docket Number, to Upper Courts of Common Pleas.


Our Condolences To Helen's Loved Ones.

 

[popsicle]

[FONT=proxima_nova_rgregular]An autopsy Monday ruled Novak's death a homicide, and found blunt force trauma to her neck. The boy is being held with no bail and has been charged with homicide as an adult. He is scheduled for a preliminary court hearing next Wednesday.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...arged-beating-death-90-year-old-woman-n225316

[/FONT]

• Police charge boy, 10, with criminal homicide in Wayne County after 90-year-old woman dies

At about 3:20 on Saturday, Martha Virbitsky went to the state police barracks in Honesdale with her son and reported that her son told her that he had gone into Novak's room at his grandfather's home and Novak yelled at him, according to the DA's press release.

snip

The affidavit states that the boy told Decker that he pulled Novak down on the bed and held a cane on her throat and then punched her numerous times. The boy then went to his grandfather and told him that Novak was bleeding from her mouth

http://www.poconorecord.com/article/20141013/NEWS/141019710[FONT=proxima_nova_rgregular]

[/FONT]

 

[GinaSeikwa]

Omg that is horrible. Am I reading correctly that he is being held in an adult correctional facility. A 10 year old in an adult jail?

 

[gitana1]

Holy cannoli. These cases always freak me out. 10 years old and he sought to batter and murder and elderly woman. WTH?

 

[Lulu14]

Abused child or a psychopath?

 

[Richrd]

Helen Novak, 90, Died Of Blunt Force Trauma To Her Neck.

Lots More Links Over at Currently Awaiting Trial:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...Helen-Novak-11-Oct-14&p=11084776#post11084776

 

[katydid23]

I get stuck in the middle , on the fence in cases where such young children are arrested for such heinous crimes. 10 yrs old but tried as an adult. That sounds awful. But then imagining someone beating an old lady to death, just as awful. So ??????

 

[JeannaT]

I can't imagine charging a 10 year old as an adult. Isn't there a minimum age when a child can be charged as an adult? In rereading the story, there is apparently no "homicide" charge in juvenile court. I'm not comfortable with it at all.

 

[JeannaT]

A little bit more info, and a pic of the boy. His eyes look odd. Neighbor describes him as having "emotional issues".

http://wnep.com/2014/10/14/boy-remains-in-custody-charged-with-homicide/

 

[oh_gal]

I have to wonder, if you are capable of killing someone at 10, what you'll be like at 21.

 

[Lulu14]

I have to wonder, if you are capable of killing someone at 10, what you'll be like at 21.

Not necessarily coordinated. Children under a certain age have a less than accurate perception of death. I remember all the things I saw as a child, and I shudder now, although they did not affect me in the least at that age.

 

[TDW59]

It's my understanding that a young man's brain does not reach full maturation until 26....16 years in the future. I simply cannot see him being tried as an adult.
With known emotional/mental health problems I would think a mental institution would be more appropriate.

 

[MsFacetious]

A little bit more info, and a pic of the boy. His eyes look odd. Neighbor describes him as having "emotional issues".

http://wnep.com/2014/10/14/boy-remains-in-custody-charged-with-homicide/

His eyes look odd because they had "red eye" from the picture being taken.
Certain people have red eye in almost every single picture.

It's also a very low quality picture so that doesn't help.
If the picture was higher quality it could be easily edited out. :twocents:

There is a second low quality picture here, where he also has red eye.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/cri...lt-murder-90-year-old-woman-article-1.1973518

 

[LambChop]

Let's wait until we have more information before jumping to conclusions regarding his family life. Hopefully he will be examined by doctors to determine if he does have some mental issues.

 

[bettiepageturner]

Yikes, I've never heard of someone so young being charged as an adult. Might there be more to "coming into the room to ask her a question?" I shudder to think. Let's hope investigators know more about this than they're letting on, to take such 24 hours around the clock precautions with this boy.

 

[oh_gal]

Not necessarily coordinated. Children under a certain age have a less than accurate perception of death. I remember all the things I saw as a child, and I shudder now, although they did not affect me in the least at that age.

According to his mother, this child has had problems with his temper and/or violence in the past. If it's this bad at 10, what will it be like at 21?
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/14/justice/pennsylvania-juvenile-homicide/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

[gxm]

This case really sets off my hinky meter. A couple of things. First, the boy claims that he got angry because the elderly woman yelled at him when he came into her room. Why on earth was the child going into the woman's room? He was there to visit his grandfather, the woman's caretaker. The boy says he wanted to ask her a question. I'm not buying it. Had he been to the house before and, if so, had he abused the woman previously and that's why she screamed when he came in the room? Second, the confinement without bail leads me to suspect that there is more to this case than the authorities are letting on. I dunno. I've just got a very bad feeling about this one.

 

[LambChop]

This case really sets off my hinky meter. A couple of things. First, the boy claims that he got angry because the elderly woman yelled at him when he came into her room. Why on earth was the child going into the woman's room? He was there to visit his grandfather, the woman's caretaker. The boy says he wanted to ask her a question. I'm not buying it. Had he been to the house before and, if so, had he abused the woman previously and that's why she screamed when he came in the room? Second, the confinement without bail leads me to suspect that there is more to this case than the authorities are letting on. I dunno. I've just got a very bad feeling about this one.

I know. It has that "fishy" feeling to it.

 

[DD_bwest]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/14/justice/pennsylvania-juvenile-homicide/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

the same link as a few posts above. an important bit to help explain the charges, it also says it can be petitioned to be moved to juvenile court.

"Janine Edwards, Wayne County district attorney, said Pennsylvania law made it mandatory "that a criminal homicide charge be first directly filed in adult court by the prosecutor regardless of the age of the perpetrator," WBRE reported.

"It is not a choice I made," she told the station, adding that a juvenile detention center will not accept a child charged with homicide. "It's not a choice the warden made. It's not a choice Pennsylvania State Police made.""

 

[Oblio]

A little bit more info, and a pic of the boy. His eyes look odd. Neighbor describes him as having "emotional issues".

http://wnep.com/2014/10/14/boy-remains-in-custody-charged-with-homicide/

He looks like an ordinary little boy. I'm not attacking you, I promise. You and I agree on lots of things, it's just I hate it when people come out and point to the looks of someone with mental issues. Mental issues are on the inside. They don't always show in the eyes or facial features of an individual. I hate it when physical features are identified as a sign of mental issues, particularly violence, because it does a huge disservice to the thousands more who have those same features and are completely harmless.