A baby-faced 13-year-old boy has been brought to court to face charges of murdering his 10-year-old best friend while he was asleep in a horrific bloodbath.
James Campbell was arraigned in Westmoreland County Court in Pennsylvania on Thursday afternoon, hours after allegedly murdering Hunter Meyers.
Campbell is accused of stabbing Meyers multiple times in the head at his grandmother’s home, which is about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
Meyers, who attended Agora Cyber Charter School with Campbell, was there at the time and was fast asleep when he was killed. Meyers’ mother, Dorothy Meyers, said the young men were best friends and cousins.
James Campbell, 13, was brought into court Thursday to stand trial for the murder of his 10-year-old cousin Hunter Meyers at the boys’ grandmother’s home in Pennsylvania.
Meyers, pictured, was stabbed to death by his cousin while he was sleeping, his mother Dorothy Meyers says
Police appear at the scene of a gruesome murder Thursday morning in Donegal Township, which is about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
She said there was never any concern about Campbell before the murder and that they “had no warning” of what was going to happen.
Police say they are struggling to find a motive and have appealed for witnesses.
Dorothy Meyers has since also offered a surprising plea for compassion for her son’s alleged killer, urging people to remember that Campbell is a child.
On Facebook, she wrote: “I see everyone’s messages but I can’t open them right now. I’m not accepting friend requests right now. I’m not trying to be mean but our 10 year old son was just murdered by another child in our family and we are trying to come to terms with it.”
Dorothy Meyers shared a series of harrowing messages about her son’s murder on Facebook and made an incredible plea for compassion for his alleged killer.
‘YOU ARE NOT GOING TO ATTACK THE OTHER CHILD WITH HATE! He is also a child and he will pay for his actions. He is being charged as an adult, with criminal homicide and first-degree murder.
“If I, as the mother of the murdered child, can ask for compassion for the other child involved, then people can show it.
Meyers added: ‘If you take nothing else away from this, please keep all the hate towards the other child to yourself.
“He’s not an adult, he’s a child. Did he brutally murder my son? Yes. If anyone has the right to hate him, it’s us and we don’t do it, so no one else has that right.”
Dorothy, pictured, also asked for help finding a funeral home that could take care of her son’s body.
Dorothy Meyers said she was extremely cautious about who cared for her children and asked for help finding a funeral home that could prepare her son’s body.
A 911 call was made Thursday at 6 a.m. and Meyers’ body was found with a knife next to him. Campbell had blood on his pants and feet. WPXI reported.
He is said to have confessed to the murder during a subsequent police interrogation.
The teenage suspect was dressed in blue prison clothes and stared at the ground as he was escorted into court by Pennsylvania State Police officers.
Campbell is being tried as an adult and spoke softly to confirm his identity and answer “yes” or “no” when asked basic questions. WTAE reported.
Asked about the motive, Trooper Steve Limani said officers are still baffled.
“I’m not saying there was any specific argument or anything that happened that you could call a motive. I don’t think that’s the right word,” he said.
Campbell has been charged with criminal homicide and first-degree murder.
He was ordered held without bail until his next court appearance.
Meyers’ mother, Dorothy, also paid emotional tribute to her young son, saying he loved animals, spending time at the park and cuddling.
She said Meyers loved diesel trucks and police and hoped to be a police officer or diesel mechanic when he grew up.
A spokesman for the boys’ school called the incident a “tragic situation” and said counselors will be made available to students when the school year starts again in the fall.
TO GoFundMe created to help Meyers’ family had raised more than $16,000 as of Friday night.
