Humboldt, Tenn.–District Attorney General Frederick H. Agee has updated the public on the eight-year-old murdered in Humboldt this week. According to Agee, video shows the eight-year-old was suffocated by her 12-year-old cousin. The cousin turns 13 next week.
The Humboldt Police Department filed a Petition of Delinquency charging the juvenile with First Degree Murder. Also added will be a charge of Tampering with Evidence.
District Attorney Agee said, “I consider this to be one of the most disturbing violent acts committed by either an adult or juvenile that my office has prosecuted.”
The young suspect is being held three hours away in Rutherford County, the closest juvenile detention facility to Humboldt.
Agee said the 12-year-old will appear in court in Trenton on Friday afternoon. He said he intends to ask the Juvenile Judge Mark Johnson to transfer her to adult court.
Here is the full press release issued by Agee’s office:
“Update on 8-year-old murdered in Humboldt:
On July 17, 2024, our office received information that a home security video existed regarding the death of an 8-year-old child, who died on Monday, July 15, in Humboldt. This video was obtained by Humboldt Police Department Investigators Kenny Rich and Tony Williams and District Attorney Investigator Jimmy Wilson. These investigators, Chief Dan Ables, Assistant D.A. Scott Kirk, and I reviewed the video footage.
This video showed the 12-year-old female juvenile (who will turn 13 next week) use bedding to suffocate her 8-year-old cousin, while the victim was sleeping in the top bunk of bunk beds they shared. After the suffocation, the juvenile cleaned up the victim and repositioned her body.
The Humboldt Police Department filed a Petition of Delinquency charging the juvenile with First Degree Murder. Also added will be a charge of Tampering with Evidence.
I consider this to be one of the most disturbing violent acts committed by either an adult or juvenile that my office has prosecuted. Due to the horrendous nature of this crime and under Tennessee Law the Juvenile Court loses jurisdiction after a juvenile turns 19, and therefore, the juvenile would be free from any further detention, supervision, or court-ordered mental health treatment, our Office is petitioning Juvenile Judge Mark Johnson to transfer the delinquent child to Circuit Court to be tried as an adult, which allows for a lengthier sentence, whether that will be through incarceration or supervision with court-ordered conditions.
Neither the victim nor the charged juvenile were residents of Humboldt; they both were visiting family.
Please keep the Victim’s Family and the Humboldt Police Department in your thoughts and prayers.
Frederick H. Agee, District Attorney General”
