10-Year-Old Boy Charged With Stepmom's Murder After Family Compiles Evidence Against Him

A 10-year-old boy has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his stepmother. 

The boy, who was not identified because of his age, was arrested and charged a month after Shavonne Willis, 36, was killed, Cleveland police said Friday.

At first, police believed the boy was a victim. But Willis' family assembled evidence, including text messages, that reportedly showed the boy had something to do with the shooting and presented it to detectives, according to WEWS-TV, prompting his arrest.

"She was a wonderful woman," Shavonne's cousin, T'osha Willis, told the local station.

Willis was found with multiple gunshot wounds on Sept. 26. Police initially sought a suspect in his mid-30s before Willis' stepson was taken into custody.

The boy is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 5. He has not yet entered a plea.

RELATED STORIES