Acertou living in the small town of Alton (new Hampshire), came to be known as friendly family, positive is configured and leading a healthy lifestyle. Wife Lisette and James raised three children: his biological 15 year old daughter and two adopted sons, aged 13 and 11 years old.
However, in mid-March, the family experienced a terrible tragedy. Police are investigating the murder of a married couple in which the accused is a child. This fact shocked not only the residents of Alton, but of the police: the suspect in the murder of two adults only 11 years old.
An Alton boy has now been charged with a second count of murder as a juvenile. James and Lizette Eckert each died as the result of a single gunshot to the head.https://t.co/EltqYA59zQ pic.twitter.com/VnNYd4dzds
— UnionLeader.com (@UnionLeader) On March 19, 2019
On Friday, March 15, around 7:30 a.m. 911 received a call. The police arrived on the farm Eckertova, found in the house already dead 50-year-old Lisette. The husband, 48-year-old James, was still alive. His critical condition was taken to a local hospital. Unfortunately, the wound was incompatible with life, and the evening of the same day he died. The cause of death and James and Lisette — gunshot wound to the head.
After 2 hours of investigative work was determined the suspect 11-year-old boy, whose name was not called. At 9:30 a.m. police found the child in the woods that surrounds the house of Acertou on Dobbins Way.
The Prosecutor General’s office of new Hampshire has published a few details on the case, but since we are talking about minors, many questions were left unanswered. So, at a press conference held last week, assistant attorney General Geoffrey ward was unable to comment on the boy with the victims, although people close to the family believe that the alleged shooter is the younger son Acertou.
Ward also declined to say who called 911, what type of weapons were used, as 11-year-old was identified as a suspect, was he injured, but also contains whether the child is in custody awaiting trial.
It is known that after the shooting the boy was charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder. On Tuesday, March 19 he was accused of another murder in the second degree.
What do the experts say?
In accordance with the laws of the state of new Hampshire, a child under 15 years of age shall not be criminally responsible for their actions, a fact in which he appears, should be considered in juvenile court. However, in the rule there are exceptions: children aged 13 to 15 years can be recognized as adults and be held accountable for murder and other serious crimes.
11-year-old age does not correspond to any valid threshold, so the case against the boy will be conducted behind closed doors, and only a few will ever be able to know the result, said a former attorney General of new Hampshire Michael Delaney. «Rarely minor aged 11 years is accused of such actions,» said Delaney, now working as a lawyer in Middleton McLane.
Many criminal experts are unable to cite as an example a single case in state history, when 11-year-old was charged with murder. «Looks like it’s the youngest perpetrator we’ve ever had,» said Lieutenant John Sonia of the Department on struggle with criminal offences, who began his career in the police force in new Hampshire 20 years ago.
The opinion of friends
Lisette and James Acertou buried this Friday. While the relatives refused to comment, many of my friends spouses shared with the Daily Beast. For example, some stated that they never seen any evidence that Acertou had some internal problems. The children were homeschooled. Friends of the couple say they adopted the boys were from Russia.
Rebecca Miller, mourning my friend told the Daily Beast: «Liz waited years and worked so hard to adopt children from Russia, it took them very little. All she wanted was to be a mother.»
According to her, Liz and Jim were very kind and sociable people and loved to laugh. James could talk about anything — politics, government, health and plenty, and Liz was «a born teacher and a responsible person.» They both grew up in large families.
Miller said that her friend was especially happy after the family moved from Maine to new Hampshire and started a small farm: Eckerty raised cows, pigs, rabbits and chickens.
«They tried to live here in another way, through work and labor and love. But who knows what problems she might have with him, Miller says, referring to 11-year-old son of the couple, who were absent at the funeral. She was so strong and independent that I don’t know, she would ask for help if something happened.»
Now the mother of Lisette, Dinah Kennedy, created a page on GoFoundMe to raise funds for their grandchildren, who so tragically left without parents. «The terrible consequences of losing Lisette and Jim will be felt by their children for many years,» she wrote and asked concerned citizens to help financially support the children without loving parents.
