Teenage brothers are found guilty of killing their father
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Two Florida teenagers were found guilty yesterday of bludgeoning their father to death with a baseball bat in an unprecedented case in which a family friend was also charged with the same crime in a separate trial.
Derek and Alex King, aged 14 and 13 respectively, face up to 22 years' imprisonment after being convicted of second degree murder. The two boys were tried as adults, despite their age.
The case has received huge attention because – in addition to charging the two boys – prosecutors also brought to trial a family friend, Ricky Chavis, and accused him of the same murder. Mr Chavis – a previously convicted child molester – was found not guilty by a separate jury but the verdict was only revealed yesterday after the jury found the King brothers guilty.
In addition to questions being asked about the fairness of trying the two teenagers as adults, particularly given the evidence of abuse the boys had endured, legal experts have also questioned the validity of bringing almost identical charges against different defendants. Prosecutors alleged in the boys' trial that the boys killed their father and said in Mr Chavis' trial that he was the killer.
The case was made yet more bizarre by the boys' appearance as principal prosecution witnesses in the case against Mr Chavis. Alex King testified that he was having a sexual affair with Mr Chavis.
The two teenagers were found guilty of killing their father last November as he slept in his house in Cantonment, a small town just north of Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle. They were also convicted of setting fire to the property.
The boys sat at different tables with their lawyers as they awaited the verdict. Derek rocked slightly in his chair and stifled yawns, while Alex chatted with his lawyer. After the verdict, both sat in silence, with Alex struggling to hold back tears.
The second-degree murder conviction carries a possible life sentence, but with a possibility of parole. A first-degree murder conviction would have carried a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.
The King brothers confessed to the crime, offering details that no one who had not been at the crime scene could offer, lawyers for the prosecution said. Their defence team had argued that the confessions, which the boys later retracted, were Mr Chavis' version of the crime, and the pair tried to cover for him.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments