Henderson County Police have arrested a 14-year-old boy on murder charges after he allegedly shot his younger brother, 8-year-old Zayden Worley.
During an interview on February 2 at the Henderson County Justice Center, Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse provided details about the case.
Sheriff Hillhouse stated that the initial story of the incident did not align with the evidence found, leading to the arrest of the young boy’s 14-year-old brother, who was charged with his murder.
According to Hillhouse, police received a call around 6:00 p.m. on January 29 about a shooting incident. The caller related that an 8-year-old boy, Zayden Worley, was looking at wildlife on the back porch of his home, located on County Road 2911, when a stray bullet struck him in the head from out of the woods.
When authorities arrived at the scene, the 14-year-old brother told them the story of the stray bullet and stated his other sibling, who is 7 years old, was inside wearing his headphones while using a tablet at the time of the shooting.
The juveniles live with their grandparents, but their grandfather was working out of town, and their grandmother was near the home and possibly running errands during the incident.
The grandmother was home when the authorities arrived. According to WDTV, people were attempting to save the young boy on the back porch.
Zayden was transported to Children’s Hospital in Dallas and died due to his injury on the same day.
A collaborative investigation began between the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Rangers, District Attorney’s Office, Texas State Game Wardens, County Attorney’s Office, Child Protective Services, and the Children’s Advocacy Center. Authorities began to look at evidence and talked to neighbors to see if they noticed anyone in the woods, trying to figure out if the initial story was true.
The authorities determined via evidence that the initial story they were told did not line up with the evidence discovered. Due to the elevation of the woods, the lack of tracks found in the thickly wooded area, the location of the porch where the victim was standing, and the autopsy performed by the Southwestern Institute on Forensic Science in Dallas, the story was confirmed to be false.
The autopsy discovered more answers to how the bullet traveled. It showed that the victim was struck with a “small-caliber round.” During questioning, the 14-year-old brother, who was left in charge of his younger siblings while their grandparents were away, began to change his story of what happened.
Henderson County Judicial District 392nd Judge Scott McKee signed off on a warrant to search the property where authorities were able to locate a firearm.
Hillhouse stated that they had enough probable cause to charge the 14-year-old with murder, as authorities have reason to believe it was an intentional shooting.
According to the Sheriff, it has not yet been decided if the the suspect will be treated as a juvenile or an adult.
The investigation is ongoing. Charges may be brought against the grandparents.
