11 year old to be arraigned for murder

The youngest person ever to be charged with murder in New Mexico is due to be arraigned this afte...  More »

The youngest person ever to be charged with murder in New Mexico is due to be arraigned this afternoon in Valencia County. Police say the boy shot and killed his father, 42-year-old Bryon Hilburn, with a rifle back in August and then called police and waited for officers outside his father’s Belen home. District Attorney Lemuel Martinez says his office filed a petition charging the 11 year old, who was 10 at the time of the shooting, with first degree murder earlier this month. University of New Mexico law professor Antoinette Sedillo describes the case as “uncharted waters.” “How do you try a 10 year old,” she asks. “He’s not going to be subject to the same adult penalties, so it will really be a real challenging case to try and figure out how to really respond to his age and be age appropriate with the penalties but also show there are consequences for this type of behavior.” Court documents show that the boy was mad at his father at the time because he felt his parents had punished him too harshly. The boy is currently under state supervision and living with his mother in Rio Rancho.  « Less