PA- Douglas Dietz (42) murdered, son being charged as adult on his 11th birthday - Duncannon, Perry County, 13 Jan 2026

[lonetraveler]

It has also been consuming me..i have an autistic child around the same age so I can't help but think of how scared he would be just being there for 5 mins let alone almost 10 days.

I have a grandson who is autistic too and this one hits close to home.

 

[spicyenigma]

does anyone know if the decertification has been requested? The summary is pretty vague..im guessing bc he's a juvenile.. just my opinion.

this is what i found out:

• Procedural Requirements: A petition for decertification (transfer to juvenile court) can only be formally considered once the case is moved to the Court of Common Pleas, which typically occurs after the preliminary hearing.
• Defense Strategy: Legal experts and local reports indicate that attorneys for the 11-year-old are expected to petition the court to move the case to the juvenile system eventually, as this process can take months and involves proving the child is amenable to treatment.

Current Status Summary:

• Status: Pending preliminary hearing.
• Custody: The juvenile remains in a detention facility after being denied bail.
• Next Action: The preliminary hearing on January 22 will determine if there is enough evidence to move the case to the Court of Common Pleas, where a decertification request can be formally litigated.

I’m hoping we learn more after the prelim. I’ve been checking the docket for updates

 

[branmuffin]

I

I have heard mixed stories that the switch was taken away days before this happened...I guess because I have a 9 year old autistic child and I know all autistic kids aren't the same...but they are not socially aware..so it makes since that he thought about shooting him but didn't think what would happen next..he might not even have realized he might kill his dad. Also, if I take my son;s tablet away he will search everywhere for it until he finds it..so im guessing thats what CD was also doing..and if they knew him like they said they did they would have known he would have most likely searched his fathers drawers (thats where we hide ours)..so why would u also keep the key to a gun safe in a drawer he is most likely to look in.

A friend called me a couple of days ago because her neighbour across the street committed suicide. He'd been struggling with the after effects of heart surgery that didn't seem to solve the problem. He stayed home while his wife and two kids visited the in-laws. When his wife and kids returned home the younger of the two boy, 9 years old, found his dad hanging from the ceiling. Apparently, he still believes his dad 'is just dead for a while, right?' So some kids don't really have an understanding of death and dying, whether they get that from playing video games or watching cartoons where Wiley Coyote always is re-incarnated.

When I was a kid my family moved a lot and sometimes I didn't attend Catholic schools so I was late getting confirmed. I was around fourteen and had to attend a series of religious classes. The class was a mix of ages from about 10 to my age and older. When the nun was talking about dying this one little boy about 10 put up his hand and said 'but what about people who don't die?' The nun said something along the line of, 'don't be ridiculous, everybody dies', but this kid was quite insistent that not everyone dies. So to me it very apparent that many children really don't possess the critical thought processes to understand that the act of dying and death is a one way street. Who are we to suggest this kid isn't one of them.

 

[kaen]

hi sorry...ive been in this deep dive just posting my findings and opinions only.

All of your research tracks with my experience as well. It makes me terribly sad that the outcomes are so bleak. In reality, the needs of this population are so much greater than the amount of services/resources that are available. Preventive steps would be preferred to adjudication after the system has failed. JMHO.

 

[spicyenigma]

Docket was updated. Preliminary hearing now scheduled for 2/19/2026.

 

[spookyprincess]

Docket was updated. Preliminary hearing now scheduled for 2/19/2026.

is he still in the juvenile detention part of the prison? I wish they would move him to somewhere more appropriate..thats along time to be in there. just my opinion..

 

[spicyenigma]

is he still in the juvenile detention part of the prison? I wish they would move him to somewhere more appropriate..thats along time to be in there. just my opinion..

It’s doesn’t specify. It just says Perry County Prison and county jail

 

[spookyprincess]

Has anyone seen any new info on this case?

 

[spicyenigma]

I haven’t heard anything recently. Next hearing according to the docket is 2/19

 

[spookyprincess]

I haven’t heard anything recently. Next hearing according to the docket is 2/19

i can't find anything on this except what we already know..

 

[spicyenigma]

11-year-old boy from Perry County appears in court Thursday after being accused of killing father

Court documents reveal that Clayton Dietz allegedly shot his father, Doug Dietz, with a gun he found in a safe while searching for a Nintendo Switch

wgal.com

 

[spookyprincess]

11-year-old boy from Perry County appears in court Thursday after being accused of killing father

Court documents reveal that Clayton Dietz allegedly shot his father, Doug Dietz, with a gun he found in a safe while searching for a Nintendo Switch

wgal.com

May? That's a long time for an autistic child to be an a prison.. has anyone had him assessed professionally...not just a family friend's opinion..
just my opinion..

 

[spicyenigma]

May? That's a long time for an autistic child to be an a prison.. has anyone had him assessed professionally...not just a family friend's opinion..
just my opinion..

I wonder if that was part of intake at the jail? I would assume by now someone would have evaluated him but I’m not sure.

 

[spookyprincess]

I wonder if that was part of intake at the jail? I would assume by now someone would have evaluated him but I’m not sure.

I hope so..they never said if he was diagnosed or just assumed to have autism and behavioral issues. I hope he is being cared for, it's definitely going to be a hard road ahead for him and his family. Has the mother spoke out at all?? (in my opinion)..

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2024891323413664176

 

[spookyprincess]

I just found these 2 fb articles.. In my opinion Jillian Dietz should be charged also.. i know in PA there is no law of weapon responsibility but there is for neglect. If the community was concerned for his safety and the school was urging her to get him help, and she chose to handle it herself (theirselves) thru corporal punishment or taking his stuff away..rather than seeing a professional than they were setting him up to fail. just my opinion...

Facebook

www.facebook.com

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1TCo32c4BH/

 

[spookyprincess]

why did they wait until he was 10 to get him help? If they adopted him in 2018 that gave them plenty of time to see his behavior changing. I get that by October 2025 his behavior escalated but why was there no IEP in place or 504 or anything in place to support him up until this time. im guessing he didn't get autism and a behavioral problem overnight...ive had services for my level 3 autistic son since he was 2 and he's almost 10 now..as a parent of an autistic child u can tell when things change or become more difficult. why not go thru a developmental psychologist to get him help..especially if they couldn't get any help through the school.

 

[Lusitana]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2024891323413664176

Oh wow. Such a sad situation and a sad picture. It's one thing to hear about it, it's another thing to see him looking so little in handcuffs.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

https://people.com/11-year-old-boy-accused-of-murdering-his-dad-appears-in-court-11911395

The preteen's lawyer told local outlets he had no comment on the case, but his “goal” is to get his client “ into juvenile court...

 

[spicyenigma]

Oh wow. Such a sad situation and a sad picture. It's one thing to hear about it, it's another thing to see him looking so little in handcuffs.

I agree. I’m interested to see how it all plays out. I’m surprised there isn’t much attention in this like other juvenile cases. I hope it’s not because they said he’s autistic…