11-Year-Old Boy Confesses to Murder of Former Louisiana Mayor, Adult Daughter

Police in Minden, Louisiana, revealed on Monday that an 11-year-old boy confessed to the murder of former Mayor Joe Cornelius Sr., age 82, and his 31-year-old daughter, Keisha Miles.

Cornelius, who was appointed interim mayor of Minden by the City Council in 2013 following his predecessor’s death, was found dead Sunday morning at his home east of Shreveport, Louisiana. His daughter was found dead along with him, and the two were killed by multiple gunshot wounds. On Monday, an unidentified boy, age 11, confessed to the murders. Per NBC News:

Chief Jared McIver identified the boy as a relative of Cornelius’ but declined to provide additional details and said authorities have not determined a possible motive. He said the child’s age limited what information police could release about his relationship to the victims.

He is being held on two counts of first-degree murder and his bond was set at $500,000, McIver said. He said it was unclear whether the child has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.

The bodies of Cornelius and Miles were found with multiple gunshot wounds, said McIver, who said that two handguns were used and that their magazines were emptied. McIver said the handguns had been hidden on the property and that the calibers matched shell casings at the scene.

Officers were first suspicious of the boy after he relayed “a story at first that just didn’t add up,” according to McIver. By Sunday afternoon, he confessed to the murders and reportedly showed no remorse.

“What I would say would be remorseful — sadness, sorrowful, apology, crying — none of those things happened,” McIver said Tuesday.

Minden Mayor Nick Cox honored Cornelius upon his death, hailing him as a friend who “supported me and others in our city.”

“Joe Cornelius’s years of service to Minden were marked by his commitment and dedication to the betterment of our community,” Cox said. “Let us come together as a community to honor Joe’s memory and support one another through this time of grief.”