Police in Minden, Louisiana, said Monday that an 11-year-old boy had confessed to killing former Mayor Joe Cornelius Sr., 82, and his daughter, Keisha Miles, 31.
Cornelius, who was appointed interim mayor of Minden by the city council in 2013 after the death of his predecessor, was found dead Sunday morning in his home in east Shreveport, Louisiana. His daughter was also found dead with him, and both died of multiple gunshot wounds. On Monday, an unidentified 11-year-old boy confessed to the murder. NBC News:
Police Chief Jared McIver identified the boy as a relative of Cornelius but declined to provide further details and said authorities had not determined a motive. The boy's age limited what information police could release about his relationship to the victim, he said.
The boy is being held on two counts of first-degree murder and his bail is set at $500,000, McIver said. It's unclear whether he has an attorney representing him.
McIver said the bodies of Cornelius and Miles were found with multiple gunshot wounds and that two handguns with empty magazines had been used. The handguns were hidden on the property and the caliber matched shell casings found at the scene, McIver said.
McIver said officers became suspicious of the boy because he “initially gave a story that didn't add up.” By Sunday afternoon, he had reportedly confessed to the murder and showed no remorse.
“There was no regret, no sorrow, no heartbreak, no apologies, no tears, nothing of that nature that I would say happened,” McIver said Tuesday.
Minden Mayor Nick Cox mourned Cornelius' death, paying tribute to him as a friend who “supported me and the people of our city.”
“Joe Cornelius' many years of service to Minden was marked by his dedication to making our community better,” Cox said. “Let's come together as a community to remember Joe's memory and support one another during this time of grief.”
