A 10-year-old boy from South Texas has confessed to a murder he committed three years ago when he was just seven, according to local law enforcement. The startling revelation came to light after the boy reportedly threatened to kill a fellow student on a school bus on April 12. The boy’s admission led to an investigation by the Gonzales County Sheriff’s Office.
During the police interrogation, the boy vividly described the murder of 32-year-old Brandon O’Quinn Raspberry in January 2022. The boy was visiting his grandfather at the Lazy J Recreational Vehicle Park and Ranch in Gonzalez County at the time of the incident. Raspberry was also residing in the park in his own RV.
The boy confessed to taking a revolver belonging to his grandfather from the glove compartment of his truck. He then used the firearm to shoot and kill Raspberry while he was asleep in his RV. The boy told the police that he did not know Raspberry and the attack was unprovoked.
The investigators managed to recover the murder weapon, which had been sold to a pawn shop in Seguin. They were able to link the pistol to the fatal shooting. However, the boy will not face charges for the murder due to Texas law, which states that only children who have reached the age of 10 can be held responsible for crimes. The boy turned eight a week after the shooting.
Following the incident, the boy was sent for psychiatric treatment at a hospital in San Antonio. He was later transferred to a detention facility in Gonzales County due to the school bus incident.
The Nixon-Smiley Consolidated Independent School District issued a statement assuring parents that the boy would not be allowed back on the elementary school campus. The statement from Superintendent Jeff Van Auken emphasized the district’s commitment to the safety of students and staff, and expressed gratitude to the Gonzales County Sheriff’s Department for their dedication to maintaining school and community safety.
Investigators revealed that Raspberry had moved to the RV park just four days before he was shot and killed.