10-year-old accused of killing neo-Nazi father may pursue insanity defense, his attorney says [Updated]
An attorney for a 10-year-old boy charged with murder in the fatal shooting of his father, a local neo-Nazi activist, on Wednesday told a Riverside County Juvenile Court judge that the boy may pursue a defense of not guilty by reason of insanity.
The sandy-haired boy appeared in Juvenile Court shackled and wearing a bright orange shirt and khaki pants, with his stepmother, biological mother and grandmother sitting on a courtroom bench behind him. Judge Charles J. Koosed postponed the boy’s detention hearing for two weeks and ordered that he continue to be held at juvenile hall.
The boy has been charged as a juvenile for the shooting death of his father, Jeffrey R. Hall, a regional director for the National Socialist Movement. Hall was shot around 4 a.m. Sunday morning while on the living room couch. Detectives believe the shooting was an “intentional act."
Detectives with the Riverside Police Department said there were no reports of an argument or other incident before the shooting, and police have never responded to any domestic disturbance calls at the Hall residence. Hall, 32, has five children including two from a previous marriage.
According to court records the boy had a history of aggression and violence after his parents went through a bitter divorce, with both Hall and his ex-wife, Leticia Neal of Spokane, Wash., accusing each other of abusing and neglecting the children. Hall was granted full custody of the children.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Ambrosio E. Rodriguez said state laws protecting juveniles prohibits him from discussing the details of the case, but said the decision to charge the 10-year-old with murder was weighed by the agency’s leadership. Until the boy’s detention hearing is concluded, Rodriguez said he was also prohibited from discussing whether the boy ultimately would be prosecuted as a juvenile or an adult, or why such a serious charge was filed against him.
“To say this was a difficult decision is an understatement," Rodriquez said after Wednesday’s hearing. “Thank God patricide is not something that happens as a daily occurrence."
[Updated, 4:20 p.m.: District attorney's spokesman John Hall said Wednesday that because of the boy's age he could not be tried as an adult so the case would remain in juvenile court.]
During the hearing, public defender Matthew Hardy told the judge that he expected the case to be a “long haul" and that the defense was considering an insanity defense. No plea was entered on Wednesday.
“There are some very, very difficult issues in this case," Hardy told the judge.
Neal told the judge that she may hire a private attorney to represent her son. She declined to comment after the hearing.
Last year Neal filed for custody of her two children with Hall, the 10-year-old boy and his 9-year-old sister, saying she was concerned about the children’s well-being because of the father’s affiliation with the neo-Nazi group. Hall had opposed the motion, saying that Neal had had no contact with the children for six years.
After Wednesday’s hearing the boy requested a visitation with this stepmother and grandmother.
RELATED:
Boy charged in father's death had problems with violence and aggression
-- Phil Willon in Riverside
Photo: Jeff Hall holds a neo-Nazi flag while standing at Sycamore Highlands Park near his home in Riverside in October 2010. Credit: Sandy Huffaker / Associated Press
EDITOR'S PICKS:
Father's politics have no bearing? A political viewpoint that insists the world's ills are the fault of a race of people? Can YOU imagine living in a home with that kind of hatred spewing forth? No bearing indeed.
Posted by: LoOne | May 04, 2011 at 09:29 PM
It is very simple. A nut ball hater is killed by his son who was raised in hate. They both go away. Perfect ending
Posted by: whattim | May 04, 2011 at 10:40 PM
listen little boy....DONT LET ANYONE tell you that you are INSANE... dont let ANYONE tell you that you are CRAZY...DONT do it!! you did what you did and you did it because you WANTED to....NOT because you are INSANE.... they'll lock you up in a nut house for a LONG TIME and when and IF you are released, then you WILL be crazy.... REMEMBER don let ANYONE TELL YOU that you are INSANE
Posted by: gee dee | May 04, 2011 at 11:35 PM
was this jeffery hall in the military, a police officer or in some other branch of law enforcement?....or was he just another poseur?
Posted by: gee dee | May 04, 2011 at 11:40 PM
Had the father survived, he should have been charged with endangering a child for giving the kid access to a loaded firearm. Since the guy died, it's a moot point. What the heck is the Dad thinking when he allows this kid, especially since he had a history of anger problems, access to his gun? Either the ammunition should have been locked away or the gun should have had a trigger lock installed.
The kid deserves grief counseling, not incarceration.
Posted by: Get Planted | May 04, 2011 at 11:59 PM
Just being a Nazi does not make the guy a bad person. I know several Nazis who are respectable law-abiding citizens with some whacky opinions. I also know plenty of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Catholics, Atheists, Native Americans, and other non-Nazis that are definitely a threat to themselves and/or their community. It is apparent that this particular guy of Nazi persuasion somehow drove his kid insane.
Posted by: Get Planted | May 05, 2011 at 12:05 AM
As much as many of you hope and believe this boy killed his father because he did not agree with Nazism, it is far more likely that the kid's been a sociopath from the get-go.
How horrible of a mother must you be to lose custody to an active avowed Nazi? Then how much must your home life suck when you're being raised by that Nazi? I can guarantee that Nazis aren't going to be gentle parents. As if being caught in the middle of your parents' divorce wasn't hard enough. This kid was caught between one white trash mess and ... a Nazi.
He should do some time. You don't get to the age of 10 wihtout knowing that killing a person is bad. But he's going to need some intense psychological therapy before anyone can even consider letting him out into the real world.
Dollars to donuts, I bet this kid is already invested in white supremacist hate. I'm predict his real motive had more to do with a singular instance of punishment (could've been as simply as having his XBox taken away) with underlying long-term abuse. Sorry folks, but I doubt he was acting as a vigilante against hate.
Posted by: Aging Hispter | May 05, 2011 at 07:47 AM
Young children are quite capable of violent acts, including the premeditation. I knew a family where the 13 year old was arrested and convicted of shooting and killing his step-father - point blank with a 30.0 shotgun that had been locked up. The reason? The stepfather wouldn't buy the boy a motorcycle. This "child" was very bright, and also had issues with relating to others, although he hadn't been visibly violent before the crime. He even went so far as to force his 9-year old sister to help him.
What I'm saying is this: Just because this father had racist beliefs doesn't mean he treated his family poorly. This boy showed all the signs that he was a danger to everyone around him because he had already been violent in school. So for those of you who just want to forgive him due to his age, and think that all he needs are a few hugs and love -- THINK AGAIN. This boy is mentally ill. That is different than being insane, but he is definetely a danger to everyone if he is not sent somewhere where he can get help.
Posted by: Astonished | May 05, 2011 at 08:03 AM
Hate breeds hate?
Posted by: Jo | May 05, 2011 at 09:25 AM
California does not permit children less than 14 to be tried as adults.
Posted by: alawyer | May 05, 2011 at 10:16 AM
@Jester
Don't be so damn naive. Of course the Father's bigoted racist ideology had EVERYTHING to do with this.
This child is suffering the consequence of a failed relationship with his father and a failed Family Court System that in no way works for the best interest of a child.
There is absolutely no basis to have a 10 year old child behind bars. This child needs professional help. He needs his family and their support.
Posted by: Alex | May 05, 2011 at 11:00 AM
"The father's politics have no bearing in this story." While I understand your sentiments (we cannot excuse the death nor stop investigating because of his politics), I have to say that his politics undoubtedly have bearing on the story because he is the one that raised this child.
My grandfather was an alcoholic, and my dad made several major decisions because of it. My dad wasn't an alcoholic because he saw firsthand the damage it did. He was extremely opposed to drinking to excess. And he made sure I understood, so some of my major decisions are affected by this as well.
If this a stranger had shot this man, then his politics might have no bearing on the story. But this child lived with this man, under his authority every day. ANYTHING he believed in strongly, and EVERY major action he took has bearing in this story, because it all affected the child. If one father teaches his child to be gentle and kind and another father teaches his child to be violent and cruel, the children will turn out differently. We learn from our parents. Sometimes we absorb the lessons and sometimes we oppose the lessons, but we definitely learn from them.
Posted by: Alex | May 05, 2011 at 01:33 PM