MINDEN, La. — An 11-year-old boy is suspected of shooting a woman and her father to death with two handguns. He is an 82-year-old man who once served as mayor, city councilman and deputy sheriff in Louisiana, police said Tuesday.
A 911 caller told police Sunday morning that two people were dead in a home in the northern city of Minden, said Police Chief Jared McIver, who did not identify the caller. Responding officers found the bodies of Joe Cornelius Sr. and his daughter, Keisha Miles, 31, inside the home. The 11-year-old was at the scene at the time, he said.
“The juvenile initially told us a story that just didn’t add up,” McIver said at a news conference Tuesday. He said the child eventually confessed to the killings during an interrogation with an adult family member present. But he said police are still unsure about his motives. Police originally reported the child was 10 years old, but corrected that Tuesday.
“Who knows why someone would do something so evil? And at that age,” McIver said.
McIver declined to name the boy or provide details about his relationship to the victims, citing Louisiana law regarding juvenile suspects.
The child was being held Tuesday on $500,000 bail on two counts of first-degree murder.
Louisiana law allows minors to be tried as adults for first-degree murder and other specified violent crimes, but not if they are under the age of 14. District Attorney Schuyler Marvin told KTBS-TV that a conviction on the current charges could result in the child being held in a juvenile facility until he or she is 21.
Investigators found two concealed weapons of a caliber that matched shell casings found near the bodies, McIver said. He said investigators are conducting more tests to confirm that both weapons were used in the killings. He declined to say what types of firearms were found.
Cornelius was a longtime member of the Minden City Council and was appointed mayor for a time in 2013 after the previous mayor died. He was also a former sheriff’s deputy, ward marshal and former funeral director who had led youth programs and helped launch local black history events.
“Joe Cornelius’ years of service to Minden have been marked by his dedication and commitment to the betterment of our community,” Minden Mayor Nick Cox said in a statement. “On a personal level, I am grateful for his friendship and the many ways he has supported me and others in our city.”