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

[Bounceycat]

11-year-old juvenile in custody after man is shot to death in Perry County

Man shot to death | 11-year-old household member charged with homicide, charging documents say

A juvenile is in custody after a man was shot to death Tuesday morning in Duncannon, Perry County.

www.wgal.com

Authorities responded to a call for a man with a gunshot wound around 3 a.m. at a home on South Market Street. Inside, responders found Douglas Dietz, 42, dead from an apparent gunshot wound, according to a statement from the Perry County District Attorney's Office.

11-year-old Clayton Michael Dietz has been charged with homicide, according to charging documents.

Dietz has been denied bail and will remain in custody at the Perry County Prison until a hearing set for next Thursday, Jan. 22. Tuesday was also his birthday.

 

[Bounceycat]

11-year-old boy in Pennsylvania charged with homicide in fatal shooting

An 11-year-old boy in Perry County, Pennsylvania, has been charged with homicide in a fatal shooting on Tuesday.

www.cbsnews.com

The 11-year-old boy was charged after allegedly shooting and killing 42-year-old Douglas Dietz at a home on South Market Street in Duncannon Borough. The man was reportedly found dead around 3 a.m.

 

[Bounceycat]

Boy, 11, charged with homicide in man’s shooting death in their Perry County home - pennlive.com

Boy, 11, charged with homicide in man’s shooting death in their Perry County home

The shooting happened just hours after the boy's mother posted birthday tributes on Facebook celebrating her son turning 11.

www.pennlive.com

Just hours before the shooting, Douglas’ wife posted more than 60 pictures on Facebook celebrating the boy’s 11th birthday.

“The day has come, another year has passed. You my sweetest, smart, brave, MOUTHY little boy are another year older. I cant believe your 11 already!” the post said. “You have been through more than most children your age and even though you struggle sometimes you have still overcome, you have still blossomed into someone GREAT.”

 

[tlcya]

Police: Juvenile involved in shooting death of household member in Perry Co.

11-Year-Old Charged with Homicide in Perry County | WHP 580 | WHP580 Newsroom

Court records indicate Pennsylvania State Police filed one criminal homicide charge against an 11-year-old boy for an incident Tuesday. Records indicate Tuesday is also the child's birthday, and he was denied bail.
Boy, 11, charged with homicide after man killed in Perry County shooting: court docs

As of Tuesday evening, investigators have not identified how Clayton and Douglas are related, but neighbors told PennLive that Douglas was the boy’s father.
Boy, 11, charged with homicide in man’s shooting death in their Perry County home

The reports do not make it clear, did this boy just turn 11 on Tuesday or was he turning 12? I am curious about a number of things. Were the man and boy the only residents of the home? If not, were others present at the time of this shooting? How did a child of this age have access to the weapon? Was there some sort of abusive situation in the home or previous behavioral problems with the boy?

I am troubled by the accused's young age. What prompted this shooting?

 

[Bounceycat]

'Daddy's dead': PA boy had Nintendo Switch taken away before shooting father: docs

'Daddy's dead': PA boy had Nintendo Switch taken away before shooting father: docs

Court records are revealing what led up to a shooting that claimed the life of a central Pa. man and had an 11-year-old charged with homicide.Clayton Dietz, wh

local21news.com

Clayton Dietz, who was celebrating his 11th birthday the day of the shooting, was looking for his Nintendo Switch that was previously taken away from him when he found a revolver, according to an affidavit.

Clayton told authorities he found keys to the gun safe while searching for the console and thought it might be stored in there. He grabbed the gun, a revolver, from the safe, and loaded it.

Jillian Dietz also told troopers she and Douglas Dietz had adopted Clayton in 2018.

 

[tlcya]

Boy, 11, charged with homicide in man’s shooting death in their Perry County home - pennlive.com

Boy, 11, charged with homicide in man’s shooting death in their Perry County home

The shooting happened just hours after the boy's mother posted birthday tributes on Facebook celebrating her son turning 11.

www.pennlive.com

Just hours before the shooting, Douglas’ wife posted more than 60 pictures on Facebook celebrating the boy’s 11th birthday.

“The day has come, another year has passed. You my sweetest, smart, brave, MOUTHY little boy are another year older. I cant believe your 11 already!” the post said. “You have been through more than most children your age and even though you struggle sometimes you have still overcome, you have still blossomed into someone GREAT.”

thank you, this answers two of my questions. And suggests a third, possible trauma or behavioral issues or both?

 

[tlcya]

'Daddy's dead': PA boy had Nintendo Switch taken away before shooting father: docs

'Daddy's dead': PA boy had Nintendo Switch taken away before shooting father: docs

Court records are revealing what led up to a shooting that claimed the life of a central Pa. man and had an 11-year-old charged with homicide.Clayton Dietz, wh

local21news.com

Clayton Dietz, who was celebrating his 11th birthday the day of the shooting, was looking for his Nintendo Switch that was previously taken away from him when he found a revolver, according to an affidavit.

Clayton told authorities he found keys to the gun safe while searching for the console and thought it might be stored in there. He grabbed the gun, a revolver, from the safe, and loaded it.

Jillian Dietz also told troopers she and Douglas Dietz had adopted Clayton in 2018.

you are on a roll @Bounceycat, yet another of my questions answered.

 

[Bounceycat]

The reports do not make it clear, did this boy just turn 11 on Tuesday or was he turning 12? I am curious about a number of things. Were the man and boy the only residents of the home? If not, were others present at the time of this shooting? How did a child of this age have access to the weapon? Was there some sort of abusive situation in the home or previous behavioral problems with the boy?

He'd only just turned 11 that day... It was 3 hours into his 11th birthday. The Dad and Mom lived there with him, no mention of other kids so far. They adopted him in 2018, so that would have been when he was 3. The article I just posted from Local21 said the parents were in bed asleep and he was searching for his Nintendo Switch console that had been taken away. He got the keys to the gun safe and said he thought it might be in there. He opened the gun safe and took out a revolver and loaded it, and shot his father while the father was asleep next to the sleeping mother. He said he "had someone in mind" when taking the gun, but hadn't considered what would happen to him after the gunshot.

 

[Bounceycat]

As for previous issues....nothing has been reported so far about issues in the current household. However, the PennLive article posted above states he had a PFA against him over 10 years ago from his first wife for abuse against her and three children.

 

[Bounceycat]

***It's important to note that in PA, there is something called the "Direct File Law" under which anyone charged with murder, regardless of age, is automatically charged as an adult.

Pennsylvania's "Direct File law" (part of Act 33 of 1995) allows prosecutors to automatically file charges against juveniles in adult criminal court for murder, bypassing the traditional juvenile court system for these cases, effectively treating them as adults from the start. This "statutory exclusion" means prosecutors don't need a judge's approval, and youth face adult penalties, though defense attorneys can petition for transfer to juvenile court.

Advocates push to end the automatic charging of juveniles as adults in certain crimes

In some states, juveniles are automatically charged in adult court for certain serious crimes. It's a practice known as direct file. In Pennsylvania, there is a push to change that rule to prevent children from ending up with adult records. William Brangham reports for our series, Searching for...

www.pbs.org

 

[Gemmie]

***It's important to note that in PA, there is something called the "Direct File Law" under which anyone charged with murder, regardless of age, is automatically charged as an adult.

Pennsylvania's "Direct File law" (part of Act 33 of 1995) allows prosecutors to automatically file charges against juveniles in adult criminal court for murder, bypassing the traditional juvenile court system for these cases, effectively treating them as adults from the start. This "statutory exclusion" means prosecutors don't need a judge's approval, and youth face adult penalties, though defense attorneys can petition for transfer to juvenile court.

Advocates push to end the automatic charging of juveniles as adults in certain crimes

In some states, juveniles are automatically charged in adult court for certain serious crimes. It's a practice known as direct file. In Pennsylvania, there is a push to change that rule to prevent children from ending up with adult records. William Brangham reports for our series, Searching for...

www.pbs.org

WOW!! I wonder how many other states have a law like this! 11 is so young, but not so young that you don't know right from wrong.

I wonder what kind of sentences an 11 yo murder could get, and where are they housed? I know they can't be put in an adult jail. At least I don't think they can. Wherever it will be I hope he gets the help he needs to hopefully grow up into a mature and contributing individual with remorse for what he did, and not grow up bitter, resentful, and with much anger, just to go on and be a bane to society when (if) he gets out.

 

[spicyenigma]

New details after child charged with homicide in Perry County

DUNCANNON, Pa. (WHTM) – Court records are shedding new details on what led up to homicide charges being filed against an 11-year-old Perry County child on his birthday. Charges filed by Penns…

www.abc27.com

ETA: Some things that stood out to me in this article.
"Troopers say a revolver was located in the closet that connected Clayton’s bedroom with his parents’. State Police also noted that Clayton had a bloody lip and a swollen contusion above his left eye."

"Jillian told State Police she and her father both attempted CPR and called 911. She disclosed there was a gun safe across from the bed and a smaller safe elsewhere in the room, but that she did not know what the gun safe key looked like or where it was kept."

"When State Police asked him what he thought would happen, they say Clayton relayed that he was mad, but had not thought about what could happen."

 

[rogue ant]

"Jillian told State Police she and her father both attempted CPR and called 911."

Does the boy's maternal grandfather live with them?

 

[spicyenigma]

"Jillian told State Police she and her father both attempted CPR and called 911."

Does the boy's maternal grandfather live with them?

I was trying to find something in the article about who lived there... The only time that's mentioned is there. Interesting.

 

[ivylambs]

I used to live fairly close by… Duncannon is very close to the city of Harrisburg but driving past (it’s that small) feels like you’re deep in Appalachia.

 

[Linda7NJ]

WOW!! I wonder how many other states have a law like this! 11 is so young, but not so young that you don't know right from wrong.

I wonder what kind of sentences an 11 yo murder could get, and where are they housed? I know they can't be put in an adult jail. At least I don't think they can. Wherever it will be I hope he gets the help he needs to hopefully grow up into a mature and contributing individual with remorse for what he did, and not grow up bitter, resentful, and with much anger, just to go on and be a bane to society when (if) he gets out.

He knew right from wrong.

 

[Baudelaire]

thank you, this answers two of my questions. And suggests a third, possible trauma or behavioral issues or both?

Maybe not jump to suggestions yet, still looks a tragic accident to me, I can only hope it doesn't turn into more. Guess we'll see...

 

[Bounceycat]

Maybe not jump to suggestions yet, still looks a tragic accident to me, I can only hope it doesn't turn into more. Guess we'll see...

What about this strikes you as accidental? He deliberately got the gun out, loaded it, and aimed it at his father and shot.

 

[tlcya]

New details after child charged with homicide in Perry County

DUNCANNON, Pa. (WHTM) – Court records are shedding new details on what led up to homicide charges being filed against an 11-year-old Perry County child on his birthday. Charges filed by Penns…

www.abc27.com

ETA: Some things that stood out to me in this article.
"Troopers say a revolver was located in the closet that connected Clayton’s bedroom with his parents’. State Police also noted that Clayton had a bloody lip and a swollen contusion above his left eye."

"Jillian told State Police she and her father both attempted CPR and called 911. She disclosed there was a gun safe across from the bed and a smaller safe elsewhere in the room, but that she did not know what the gun safe key looked like or where it was kept."

"When State Police asked him what he thought would happen, they say Clayton relayed that he was mad, but had not thought about what could happen."

Wonder how old those injuries were. Curious if the lip still bleeding or did the injuries appear to be from earlier in the evening.

Also this article says the child was angry he had been made to go to bed. Another article says he was was looking for his Nintendo Switch which had been taken from him earlier. I feel like there is more to come with this case and I am interested to hear it.

 

[Bounceycat]

Wonder how old those injuries were. Curious if the lip still bleeding or did the injuries appear to be from earlier in the evening.

Also this article says the child was angry he had been made to go to bed. Another article says he was was looking for his Nintendo Switch which had been taken from him earlier. I feel like there is more to come with this case and I am interested to hear it.

IMHO, putting it together it reads that his Switch was taken from him earlier in the day/evening. Later, he was told to go to bed and didn't like that. Around 3am is when he was up searching for the Switch.

Could the bruise and busted lip be from gun recoil by an inexperienced user? JMO