A 10-year-old boy has been charged as an adult for the murder of a 90-year-old woman. Fifth grader Tristen Kurilla is accused of beating the elderly victim to death at his grandfather’s house in Pennsylvania Saturday (Oct. 10).
Helen Novak’s death has been ruled culpable homicide. Kurilla’s mother turned him in, after his grandfather called police when he found Novak’s dead body.
The boy held Novak’s cane against her neck alongside punching and kicking her in the stomach and throat. She died from blunt force trauma to her throat.
Novak was Kurilla’s grandfather’s caretaker. Although he admitted “I killed that lady,” the boy told authorities that he only meant to hurt her. He was upset with Novak because she yelled at him and made him leave her room, when he walked in to ask a question.
Pennsylvania law states that culpable homicide must be charged in an adult court “regardless of the age of the perpetrator.”
Kurilla remains jailed without bail, and is being separated from adult inmates. The boy’s lawyer, Bernie Brown says the youngster “really kind of doesn’t have an idea of what is going on.”
His court date is October 22.
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Photo: CNN screenshot
