Charges have been filed against a young boy concerning the brutal murders of a mother and her two young sons in New Hampshire, the state's Department of Justice announced on Thursday, August 11.
According to the justice department, the kid was arrested and charged under juvenile laws of New Hampshire with one count of falsifying physical evidence and three counts of first-degree murder for shooting the three victims. The boy was accused of killing 25-year-old Kassandra Sweeney and her two sons, Benjamin Sweeney and Mason Sweeney, in Northfield on August 3, according to NBC News.
Medical examiner Dr. Jennie V. Duval said that each of the three victims died from a single gunshot wound. According to authorities, all of them were found dead inside a home at about 11:30 a.m. on August 3. She ruled their deaths as homicides.
Identity of the suspect not released because he is a juvenile
The age and identity of the juvenile charged in the murders have not been released. A motive behind the killings remains unclear at this point. Authorities had been investigating the killings since the incident happened but did not share what evidence led to the arrest of the boy, according to WMUR.
Online obituaries said Kassandra was born to be a wife and a mother. One obituary noted that family was the center of Kass's world, and she spent every possible moment making memories with them. She loved hanging out with her husband and sons and with her sister and extended family.
Kass loved playing in the yard with her sons and celebrating holidays, especially Christmas. The obituaries said four-year-old Benjamin loved Play-Doh, dinosaurs, and baking with his mother. He also loved singing "Puff the Magic Dragon" with his dad before bedtime. He also enjoyed cleaning with his mom and making crafts.
One-year-old Mason loved books and dancing to the Beach Boys and Baby Shark. The toddler also enjoyed snacking, playing with trucks, and learning to count with his father.
Funerals for the Sweeneys held on August 13
The trio's funerals were held Saturday, August 13, according to the New York Post. Sean Sweeney, Kassandra's husband and the boys' dad, paid tribute to his family on the social media platform Facebook, saying that it is their job to keep their memories alive.
The patriarch thanked everyone for their outreach and support during these challenging times. Sean said that while things would never be normal again, his body finally shut down and let him get some sleep, and he woke up feeling as normal as possible.
State prosecutors and police did not say the juvenile suspect's connection to the Sweeneys, and there was no immediate word on the boy's possible motive for the shooting.
