Despite uptick, homicides involving juvenile suspects rare in NH
Cases handled differently than homicides involving adults
Cases handled differently than homicides involving adults
Cases handled differently than homicides involving adults
Homicide cases involving juvenile suspects are rare in New Hampshire, but the state has experienced a slight increase in recent years.
In March 2017, James Laprade, 33, was shot and killed in Farmington at an Oakwood Road Home.
In February 2019, Melissa Hatch, 42, was found dead inside her Burgdorf Drive home in Madison.
In March 2019, Lizette Eckert, 50, was shot dead inside her Dobbins Way home in Alton. Her husband, James Eckert, 48, was also shot and later died of his injuries.
In November 2019, the body of Jason Beam was found inside a Gregg Lake Road home in Antrim.
All four cases involve homicides that were allegedly carried out by children.
Associate Attorney General Jeff Strelzin said such cases are fairly infrequent in New Hampshire, but he said the state has experienced a small increase over the past few years.
"Part of that is likely due to the fact that New Hampshire used to consider 17-year-olds as adults under our law, but now it's 18," he said.
Prosecuting homicide or murder cases involving child suspects can take a different tone than similar cases involving an adult. First, information is often sealed and confidential. The cases also move through family court, rather than Superior Court.
Juveniles face almost the same sentencing rules as adults.
"Assuming that the case does get to the Superior Court, which would require the juvenile to be certified as an adult, then that juvenile is subject to the same sentencing parameters with one exception, and that exception is first-degree murder cases," Strelzin said.
Under a recent Supreme Court ruling, juveniles cannot face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
If the suspects are too young, they might not be charged at all.
"In New Hampshire, it's basically anyone who is 12 or under can never be charged with a crime," Strelzin said.
Police officers are specially trained in how to handle cases involving children.
"The interviewing techniques are a little more advanced," said Alton Police Chief Ryan Heath. "It takes a lot more training and recognition in dealing with juvenile offenders."
That training kicked in for Heath and his team when they responded to the deaths of the Eckerts. Heath said the case had an effect on his department and the town, and he brought in grief counselors to help people deal with the emotional toll.
"You have adults that were grieving in their own way," he said. "You have kids that were grieving in their own way. But some of them were in the same household and were having a hard time communicating with one another on different levels."
Perhaps the biggest question that will haunt the town is why a child would take the lives of two adults. Speaking generally, Heath said that question hangs over a lot juvenile cases because legal protections prevent the release of information.
"Sometimes you may never get those answers, and that's hard for anyone to swallow," he said.
"I think we all ought to be grateful that they don't happen as often as they could," said social behavioral scientist Ted Kirkpatrick.
Kirkpatrick has spent decades researching homicides. He said each case involving child suspects is unique, but there can be some common history if the suspect is a family member.
"It is born of some unresolved conflict, some particular trauma, some unsettling situation within the living environment," he said.
Kirkpatrick noted that homicides involving child suspects make up less than 1% of crimes.
"I do think it's likely to be a cluster in this year," he said. "We could not see another one for two to three years."