Boy Was 13 When He Killed Toddler Siblings: Cops

A teenage boy in Indiana arrested in connection to the deaths of his two young siblings reportedly told authorities that he had to "set them free from this hell." The boy, who was taken to a juvenile detention center last month, was 13 years old when he allegedly smothered Desiree McCartney, 23 months, and Nathaniel Ritz, 11 months, last year in two separate incidents in the span of fewer than three months, WXIN reports. Both deaths occurred at the Osgood home where the teen lived with his mother, her boyfriend (Nathaniel's father), and the two deceased toddlers, according to Fox19. According to an affidavit, the teen has admitted to suffocating the two younger children, according to WLWT.

Court documents provide more disturbing details about the teen, who a family member says has a temper like the "Hulk." That family member has multiple health problems, and the teen once said, "maybe she just needed to die." In another episode, the teen reportedly got mad at a kitten that scratched him and squeezed it to death. At a Sept. 10 hearing, a judge ordered a competency evaluation to determine whether the teen is fit to stand trial. The state wants him tried as an adult. "I'm not sure I've seen anything as disturbing as this, prosecutor Ric Hertel says, per WXIN, adding that he "wouldn't rule out the possibility" of the parents also facing charges in the case. (More Indiana stories.)