In a heartbreaking incident in Westmoreland County, state police have charged a 13-year-old boy, James Campbell, in the tragic death of 10-year-old Hunter Meyers. The violent act, detailed in a criminal complaint, unfolded early Thursday morning in a Donegal Township home, marking a dark day within this typically quiet community. As reported by WTAE, Campbell stands accused of fatally stabbing the younger boy multiple times in the head.
Officials who responded to the scene described arriving at the house on Donegal Lake Road to find young Meyers deceased from numerous stab wounds. According to TribLIVE, Campbell, covered in blood, was found with lacerations to his hand which, during his confession to state police, seemed to tell the stark story of the event. Arraigned later that day, the teenager now faces severe charges of homicide and first-degree murder.
Bearing witness to a scene shrouded in the somber tones of loss and justice, Campbell, dressed in blue scrubs and without shoes, was led into district court. Amidst the procedural queries of Judge Jason Buczak, a simple "OK" was all that was uttered by the boy upon learning that bond would be denied.
The knife, a silent testament to a life taken too soon, was found at the scene, lying by the victim, as recounted by authorities during their meticulous evidence collection. Trooper Steve Limani, bearing the heavy task of informing the public, said both boys knew each other and that the motive was still undetermined.
What proceeds is a period of investigation and grief, a time punctuated by the legal proceedings yet to come, with a preliminary hearing set for Aug. 9.
