A 12-year-old Tennessee girl has been charged with suffocating her sleeping 8-year-old cousin while visiting relatives, prosecutors announced last week.
Authorities said home security camera footage shows the girl, who turned 13 this week, suffocating her cousin with bedding on July 15 at their home in Humboldt, 98 miles northeast of Memphis, then cleaning and repositioning the victim’s body.
The younger girl was sleeping in the top bunk of the bed they shared. The older girl has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
Missing Georgia woman found dead in Tennessee, suspect arrested
Authorities say 8-year-old Demelia Hollingsworth was suffocated by her cousin while she was sleeping. (GoFundMe)
The victim’s mother, Rayana Smith, identified the victim as Demelia Hollingsworth. Fox 59 report.
“She loved to read, she loved to swim, she loved to play outside, she rode her bike every day, she played with the neighborhood kids, she played with her friends’ kids. I had a beautiful baby,” Smith told the news outlet.
Fox News Digital reached out to Smith, who said the girls plan to stay with their grandmother over the summer.
She said the two had been arguing over an iPhone before he was killed.
Mississippi family ‘not safe’ fearing retaliation from carjacker caught on home camera
“When I found out, I should have just gone and picked up my kids,” she said, “but they were enjoying their summer vacation and I didn’t think she would kill my kids.”
West Tennessee District Attorney Frederick Agee, who represents the 28th District, said his office is petitioning Juvenile Judge Mark Johnson to transfer the boy to circuit court so he can be tried as an adult and face stiffer penalties.
Humboldt Police vehicle. (Humboldt Police Department)
“I believe this is one of the most disturbing acts of violence my office has ever prosecuted, either against an adult or a juvenile,” he said in a statement.
According to a GoFundMe page set up by Hollingsworth’s mother, Hollingsworth’s funeral is scheduled for July 26.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Metro Nashville Public Schools confirmed to Fox News Digital that Hollingsworth attended Cockrill Elementary School.
“The Cockerell community is mourning the unexpected loss of Demelia Hollingsworth, a beloved student who attended Cockerell since kindergarten. Demelia was known for her hard work, intelligence and kind nature,” Superintendent of Schools Casey Campbell said in a statement issued by the district. “She was cherished by all who knew her, and her passing has saddened all at Cockerell. She will be greatly missed.”
