Lawyers for the 15-year-old boy charged with brutally murdering his parents and siblings in their Washington state lakeside home last month say there are two conflicting versions of what happened in the seemingly “perfect” family home. claimed and defended the teenager's version – the suspect's version Recent court documents obtained by Fox News Digital revealed testimony from his surviving sister.
Authorities found a “significant crime scene” – the bodies of two adults and three children – inside the home. Lake Alice, WashingtonPolice announced on October 21 that they immediately took the 15-year-old boy into custody.
The King County Coroner's Office identified the victims as Mark Humiston, 43, Sarah Humiston, 42, and their children Benjamin, 13, Joshua, 9, and Katherine, 7. ) was identified. A judge prohibited the media from publishing the identity of the teenage suspect, but his name remains in court records.
Teenage suspect in the brutal murder of the Lakeside family touched the body to make sure it was alive: Surviving sister
Mark Humiston, 43, and Sarah Humiston, 42, were killed in the massacre. (Facebook)
The suspect's 11-year-old sister survived the attack by playing dead, according to court records.
Early on the morning of October 21st, the suspect called 911, claiming that his 13-year-old brother had killed his family. “He shot my whole family and he also killed himself,” he said under his breath, according to the affidavit.
During the suspect's 911 call, police received another 911 call from a neighbor who told authorities that Humiston's 11-year-old daughter arrived at her home with a gunshot wound. reported that a family member had been injured. everyone died And it was her 15-year-old brother who shot them.
Court documents refer to the surviving 11-year-old boy as BAH.
”[The suspect]'s younger sister BAH told the police: [the suspect] He was the one who killed their family. but, [the suspect] Speaking to the 911 operator, my brother said: [Benjamin] He murdered his family,” the suspect's attorney said in newly obtained records.
“In this case, there are two versions of the event – BAH and [the suspect]version,” the defense continued.[The suspect]'s version of events seems forensically viable. ”
Wealthy lakeside neighborhood shakes after family brutally murdered in their home
A 15-year-old boy has been charged with murdering his parents and brother at their home in Lake Alice, Washington, on October 21st. (Screenshot of affiliate video)
The defense team added that the suspect's statement in the 911 call “appears to be consistent with the forensic results received so far,” and that there is no evidence that the suspect had blood stains on him after the alleged mass murder. He claimed that there was no.
His attorney examined the crime scene and said, “It's clear that whoever was involved in this shooting could not have escaped without there being a lot of blood,” according to court records.
He also claimed that a motive did not seem to be explained, but in an earlier affidavit, the 15-year-old girl's surviving sister told police that the suspect had failed a school test when she was 15 years old. It has been revealed that he had recently stated that he had been involved in “a lot of trouble.” I asked her what kind of problem her brother was having at home.
Washington teen banned from contact with sister, only surviving sister accused of family murder
The shooting occurred in the Lake Alice neighborhood of Fall City, Washington. (FOX13 Seattle KCPQ)
She told investigators that she and her sister woke up to gunshots in their shared bedroom and saw her father and brother lying in the hallway with blood on their bodies. She then heard another gunshot and saw her sister fall to the floor. She saw her 15-year-old brother shoot himself and lean over the bodies of three family members in the hallway, touching them to see if they were alive.
To survive, she “pretended to be dead by closing her eyes and holding her breath” and escaped through a “fire window” in her bedroom.
She told police she recognized the gun her brother shot as her father's silver Glock handgun and kept it in a small lockbox. She said her 15-year-old brother was the only one of her children who knew the lockbox combination.
According to the affidavit, detectives and prosecutors allege that the 15-year-old suspect staged the scene to make it look like his younger brother had committed the murder and committed suicide before first responders arrived. Benjamin, 13, was found with a gunshot wound to the head and a Glock in his left hand held against his chest.
Washington state boy shot in his home, killing five of seven family members, taken into custody
After the massacre, many who knew the Humiston family were shocked by the tragedy.
Leah Robertson, a soccer coach who coached one of the victims, said: “My father worked extremely hard and my mother was the most devoted and loyal mother.'' KOMO News. “You thought they were perfect. To me, they looked perfect from the outside.”
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The suspect is charged with five counts of first-degree aggravated murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm enhancement, both of which are designated as domestic violence, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. He is being held securely at the Clark Child and Family Justice Center.
The 15-year-old did not enter a plea pending a judge's ruling on whether the case should be transferred to adult court. This incident is scheduled for a debriefing conference on January 8, 2025.
An attorney for the teenage suspect added no further information.
