HUMBOLDT, Tenn. (WTVF) — On July 15 in Humboldt, Tennessee an 8-year-old was suffocated in their sleep.
Police say they obtained home security video that shows the eight-year-old's cousin, who is 12, using bedding to suffocate her while she was sleeping in the top bunk of the beds they shared. Both children were visiting family and are not Humboldt residents.
The Humboldt Police Department filed a Petition of Delinquency which charges the 12-year-old with first degree murder and tampering with evidence.
According to Frederick H. Agee, the District Attorney General for the area, their office is petitioning to take the child to a Circuit Court to be tried as an adult. This would mean a potentially longer sentence.
"Please keep the Victim’s Family and the Humboldt Police Department in your thoughts and prayers," Agee said in a statement.
A GoFundMe has been created for the family of the eight-year-old, if you would like to help during this difficult tragedy.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
