BURLINGTON - A 12-year-old boy being held by authorities could face murder charges for the death of his parents and the critical injuries made to his siblings, according to the district attorney.
Burlington Police responded to the 700 block of Lowell Avenue at about 6:40 p.m. Tuesday after the 12-year-old boy called 911 about shots being fired and three people being injured at his home.
Police found homeowners Charles Long, 50, and his wife, Marilyn Long, 51, the parents of the 12-year-old, dead in the house. Their cause of death has not been released by the coroner's office, but the district attorney says both suffered gunshot wounds.
Two children of the Longs, a 5-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, were also found injured at the home.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigations says the two children were taken to a local hospital and later transported to The Children's Hospital in Aurora.
"Jacob [the Long's oldest son] called me, and said his parents had been murdered, that someone broke into their home and murdered them and that the two little ones went to the hospital. I was actually at work, and I left work immediately and went home and we packed," Wally Long, Charles' brother, said.
Wally Long says he flew in from Missouri to be with his family.
He says the 5-year-old girl has knife injuries to her neck and back and the 9-year-old boy has gunshot wounds to his groin and was also stabbed. Both children are expected to make a full recovery.
One of the other older brothers, Caleb Long, posted an update on their condition on his Facebook page Thursday evening. He says the 5-year-old girl is doing great and out of ICU. The 9-year-old is still in ICU but is getting better.
13th District Attorney Bob Watson says the boy is facing two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his parents, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault for allegedly injuring his siblings. By law, Watson must file the charges within 72 hours, which would be Friday.
The 12-year-old's name has not been released. Authorities have not named any other suspects in the case.
"We are fairly confident we have the correct person in custody," Watson told 9NEWS.
Whether Watson will ask a judge to consider charges as an adult for the 12-year-old is still unclear.
"If I have somebody this young," Watson said, "I have to look at the seriousness of the offense, and say, 'Can I ever take the risk something like this will happen again?'"
Watson says he will meet with the Long family next week to determine a family history, psychology and maturity of the 12-year-old.
"I pray for the family," he said. "I can't imagine, for a second, what they're going through."
Wally Long says he doesn't believe there was any abuse going on in his brother's home and believes the 12-year-old was like any other child his age.
"I have a good relationship with the older two boys and I believe they would tell me if that were the case. And I don't believe in any way, shape or form that there was anything like that going on," he said. "[He seemed like a] typical kid. I know he spent some time helping in their church; he was involved in community activities from time to time. A typical kid. He probably liked to play video games."
A public defender has been appointed to the case.
The 12-year-old appeared in court Wednesday to hear the potential charges against him. He will be in court again on March 14 to be formally advised of the charges against him, unless his public defender chooses to waive the hearing.
Legally, Watson says he cannot charge the boy as an adult because he is under 14. Under state law, it is up to the juvenile court system to decide if he can be charged as an adult. Colorado law states anyone 12 or older can technically be charged as an adult for certain serious felonies.
Watson says he is not necessarily looking at filing adult charges against the 12-year-old and he would have to file motions in juvenile court before that could happen.
The boy is being held at the Platte Valley Youth Services Center in Greeley.
"I've been a chief here almost 10 years. This is our first homicide investigation that we've been involved with directly in our community," Burlington Police Chief Randy Millburn said. "We are probably looking, in the past 30 years, at one homicide. Now, [we have] two homicide investigations."
Millburn says there are nine officers assigned to the 4,200-person community of Burlington, which is located on the Eastern Plains of Colorado. He says the murders have taken a toll on their small town.
"It's a challenge because it's difficult to recognize the signs any time, then you feel more responsible because we're such a small community," he said. "There is a responsibility you feel for your community. It's been hard."
(KUSA-TV © 2011 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
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