PA, James Campbell, 13 confesses to murdering cousin Hunter Meyers, 10 at a sleep over, Westmoreland County

[Seattle1]

Teen Stabbed 10-Year-Old Cousin to Death in Sleepover Attack: Cops

 

[Seattle1]

Mom of 10-year-old stabbed to death by 13-year-old says her son's "beautiful face needs to be out there"

By Barry Pintar Click here for updates on this story DONEGAL TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — The mother of the 10-year-old boy police say was fatally stabbed by his 13-year-old friend in Westmoreland County is speaking out. She’s talking about the relationship of the two boys after her son...

kvia.com

DONEGAL TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — The mother of the 10-year-old boy police say was fatally stabbed by his 13-year-old friend in Westmoreland County is speaking out.

[..]

Police found Meyers dead in an upstairs bedroom, stabbed multiple times in the head. A knife was found next to him, and C had blood on him and cuts on his hand. Police paperwork says he confessed to the stabbing.

ETA: Teen is being tried as an adult

 

[Seattle1]

Moment 'murderer' aged 13 is marched into court by cops 'after stabbing best friend, 10 while he slept,'

8/3/24

A baby-faced 13 year-old boy was marched into court to face charges of murdering his sleeping 10 year-old best friend in a horrific bloodbath.

JC was arraigned at Westmoreland County Courthouse in Pennsylvania Thursday afternoon, hours after he is said to have killed Hunter Meyers.

C is accused of knifing Meyers multiple times in the head at his grandmother's home, which sits around 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

 

[Seattle1]

13-year-old charged with murder in stabbing death of 10-year-old in Westmoreland County

A 13-year-old is in custody after a 10-year-old was stabbed to death in Westmoreland County.

www.cbsnews.com

8/1/24

Police said the boy, identified by the coroner as Hunter Meyers, was stabbed to death at a home on Donegal Lake Road in Donegal Township around 6 a.m. According to court records, JC is charged as an adult with homicide and first-degree murder.

When police arrived at the scene, they said they found the victim dead with multiple stab wounds to his head and a knife next to his body. The criminal complaint says CC admitted to police that he stabbed Meyers. He also had blood on his pants and feet, authorities said.

"It became very apparent he was the person that committed this horrific act," State Trooper Steve Limani said.

 

[Seattle1]

10-year-old stabbed to death in Westmoreland County; Teen charged

A 10-year-old boy was found stabbed at a home in Donegal Township, state police said in a criminal complaint.

www.wtae.com

8/2/24



The incident happened Thursday morning on Donegal Lake Road in Donegal Township. Video from Sky 4 over the scene showed a large police presence.

The coroner's office identified Hunter Meyers a short time later. According to officials, the 10-year-old was staying at the home on Dongal Lake Road where the incident happened, but did not live there.

Meyer's mother shared photos of her child smiling with his family and pets prior to that day. The 10-year-old boy loved playing X-Box with his father and friends, riding quads and fishing.

His mother told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 her son loved diesel trucks and the police and either wanted to be an officer or a diesel mechanic when he grew up.

 

[Seattle1]

JC 13, is brought into the Westmoreland County courthouse prior to his arraignment on criminal homicide and murder of the first degree in the stabbing death of a 10 year old.

According to the criminal complaint, police said C confessed to stabbing the 10 year old boy.

Mod Note - This is the best I could do to redact names from X posts

 

[Seattle1]

Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office

8/1/24

 

[Seattle1]

Details in Westmoreland Stabbing Death - FOX8

We have an update on a fatal stabbing involving two boys in Westmoreland County. The victim now identified. According to our News Affiliates, 10-year-old Hunter Meyers died after being stabbed…

www.fox8tv.com

8/5/24

We have an update on a fatal stabbing involving two boys in Westmoreland County. The victim now identified. According to our News Affiliates, 10-year-old Hunter Meyers died after being stabbed on Thursday morning at a home in the 400 block of Donegal Lake Road in Donegal Township.

Police say Meyers was sleeping over at the suspect — JC's house when someone later called 911 around 6am when they found Meyers dead with a knife beside him. Officials say C— who’s 13-years-old, is being charged with criminal homicide and first-degree murder. He’s being charged as an adult.

[..]

Both Meyers and C went to Agora Cyber Charter School.

 

[Seattle1]

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch

Docket Number	Court Type	Case Caption	Case Status	Filing Date	Primary Participant(s)	Date Of Birth(s)	County	Court Office	OTN	Complaint #	Incident #
MJ-10309-CR-0000078-2024	Magisterial District	Comm. v. Campbell, James Cail	Active	08/01/2024	Campbell, James Cail	09/26/2010	Westmoreland	MDJ-10-3-09	U10065355	A1C79Z928D	PA 2024-996680

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Oh man. I am so sorry for both families.

Has this phenomenon of teens suddenly murdering a friend or relative become more common over the past 10 or 20 years, or is the rate staying steady?

 

[Seattle1]

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/Report/MdjDocketSheet?docketNumber=MJ-10309-CR-0000078-2024&dnh=FUiMrbUOgXTFRHJBzkNRrw%3D%3D

@Niner

 

[Seattle1]

Oh man. I am so sorry for both families.

Has this phenomenon of teens suddenly murdering a friend or relative become more common over the past 10 or 20 years, or is the rate staying steady?

IMO, it's escalating based on recent, cited reports of serious overcrowding in the Juvenile facilities.

 

[Seattle1]

8/5/24

Viewing, funeral services set for 10-year-old killed in Donegal Township

 

[Gemmie]

IMO, it's escalating based on recent, cited reports of serious overcrowding in the Juvenile facilities.

Question for you... what's the date that you're saying it's been escalating since? Just curious because I know Covid has really messed with kid's heads and their mental heath went south. Was it 2020 through now or earlier than that?

I posted about what Covid was doing to kids mental health in the Covid thread a while back. Note that those were KINDERGARTEN thru THIRD grade. Teachers were leaving because they weren't getting the help they needed to deal with this sort of thing.

Directing you to my post so you can see the long list of things these kids were doing to other kids and staff.

Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #110

Something I didn't know... COVID-19 tests are extremely reliable when they give a positive result, but a negative result can’t always be trusted. False negatives test results are tests that show a negative result even when the person is infected with the COVID-19 virus, and they are common...

www.websleuths.com

 

[kuromiiiilove]

IMO, it's escalating based on recent, cited reports of serious overcrowding in the Juvenile facilities.

Interestingly, it’s decreasing:

Estimated proportion of victims killed by juvenile offenders, 1980-2020

Offending by Juveniles: This section provides information on juvenile homicide offending, time-of-day patterns for juvenile violent offending, trends in the rate of serious violent offending by juveniles, and comparisons between juvenile and adult offenders. You will also find information on...

www.ojjdp.gov

‘According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the percentage of murders involving a juvenile offender acting alone has gradually decreased over time:

• 1980s: 66%
• 1990s: 59%
• 2010s: 50%
• 2020: 45%
  

In 2020, known juvenile offenders were involved in about 1,122 murders, which was about 8% of all known murder offenders. In the same year, youth under 18 made up about 8% of all murder victims, and 26% of youth homicide victims were female’

The overcrowding could be due to an increase in non-fatal violent crime and property crime. Delinquency in general has significantly increased: Case Rate Trends | Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

 

[Gemmie]

Interestingly, it’s decreasing:

Estimated proportion of victims killed by juvenile offenders, 1980-2020

Offending by Juveniles: This section provides information on juvenile homicide offending, time-of-day patterns for juvenile violent offending, trends in the rate of serious violent offending by juveniles, and comparisons between juvenile and adult offenders. You will also find information on...

www.ojjdp.gov

‘According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the percentage of murders involving a juvenile offender acting alone has gradually decreased over time:

• 1980s: 66%
• 1990s: 59%
• 2010s: 50%
• 2020: 45%

In 2020, known juvenile offenders were involved in about 1,122 murders, which was about 8% of all known murder offenders. In the same year, youth under 18 made up about 8% of all murder victims, and 26% of youth homicide victims were female’

The overcrowding could be due to an increase in non-fatal violent crime and property crime. Delinquency in general has significantly increased: Case Rate Trends | Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Except that data was through 2020 which is when Covid hit and mental health issues in kids and adults went through the roof. See my post about yours.

I'm more interested in 2020 through current and even future. I think Covid threw a wrench into things. I'd love more current data to see if that trend reversed from the 1980's - 2020.

 

[Seattle1]

Except that data was through 2020 which is when Covid hit and mental health issues in kids and adults went through the roof. See my post about yours.

I'm more interested in 2020 through current and even future. I think Covid threw a wrench into things. I'd love more current data to see if that trend reversed from the 1980's - 2020.

Yes, @Gemmie -- I estimate the escalating period beginning around 2021 based on the housing projections I've viewed. Generally, the fix is self adjusting as juvenile inmates are either released or graduate from juvenile hall to adult DOC when they age out of the residence.

I should have updated figures soon since WA inmates recently transferred to Adult DOC have filed a lawsuit. MOO

 

[Gemmie]

Yes, @Gemmie -- I estimate the escalating period beginning around 2021 based on the housing projections I've viewed. Generally, the fix is self adjusting as juvenile inmates are either released or graduate from juvenile hall to adult DOC when they age out of the residence.

I should have updated figures soon since WA inmates recently transferred to Adult DOC have filed a lawsuit. MOO

Thanks for your answer!

Very interesting. Except I'm thinking other juveniles would take the place of those aging out of the system at either the same pace or more (escalating) or less (going back down). I'm looking forward to your updated figures!

 

[Knitty]

MOD NOTE: Quick reminder about naming minors, straight from Etiquette & Information (link in my signature):

"MINORS

If the minor is the victim (either missing or deceased), they may be named and sleuthed. Other than that, naming, sleuthing or posting images of living minors is not allowed. If you suspect a minor is a perpetrator of a crime, you may not post any information you find about them. If however a minor is named by LE as a suspect in a case or is arrested in a case, we can sleuth them but we use their initials only, regardless of if they are named in MSM. Warnings and timeouts will be issued to members who name or sleuth a minor who is not the victim."

 

[Valiant]

I live in the same township as this crime scene, about 2.5 miles away. I don’t have any connections to the victim or suspect but, while you never expect this anywhere, this is not an area for violent crime. Lots of unlocked doors and keys left in cars.