Even the most seasoned criminals sometimes overlook the evidence they leave behind, which is what happened during the murder of Brandon Felton.
Subtle, everyday clues have often been all that were needed to lead police to killers, who may very well have thought they had successfully outsmarted the law.
The criminal covered today, however, was neither seasoned nor smart: He was a 12 year-old boy whose name had been redacted in a criminal complaint from the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
The Killing of Brandon Felton
Pizza receipt leads Milwaukee police to 12-year-old murder suspect https://t.co/F5XaT0pvZ0
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 28, 2023
On March 18, 2023, 34-year-old Brandon Felton was found dead in his home. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. His body was discovered by his cousin, who showed up to Brandon’s house because he had not heard from him in days.
Nearby the spent shell casing, police found the clue that would lead them to his killer: a receipt for a Domino’s Pizza delivery order. The receipt depicted the number of the person who had placed the order. When police called the number, they were met with the voice of a “young-sounding male.”
The Interrogation of the Suspect in the Brandon Felton Slaying
The boy who answered the phone was actually Brandon Felton’s neighbor, who would occasionally come to Felton’s house to play video games. When interrogated by police, his story changed several times. At first, he denied having ordered the pizza at all, claiming that he had no idea how his number ended up listed on the receipt.
After harsh interrogation, however, the boy eventually admitted to being at Felton’s house when he was killed, though he claimed the act was committed by a “friend” of Felton’s. The boy’s mother told investigators that her son was lying.
The Boy Is Determined to Be The Person Who Killed Brandon Felton
12-year-old in Milwaukee charged with killing a man to steal his guns. Police say a pizza receipt led to the arrest https://t.co/qQL1rPg1Om
— koconews (@koconews) March 30, 2023
The boy’s ever-changing narrative did not match up with that of the texts police found on his phone. Apparently, the boy had been texting his friends about his plans to kill Felton.
The motive for the murder was simple: The boy wanted to steal Felton’s guns.
According to the complaint, “In those messages, the Defendant states that he has a ‘play,’ which Complainant knows is a slang term for a robbery. The Defendant then indicates the ‘play’ is for a shotgun and a ‘chop’ which Complainant knows is a slang term for an AR-15 style rifle.”
What Will Be the Legal Consequences of Brandon Felton’s Juvenile Killer?
The boy’s bond is set at $100,000.
According to Wisconsin law, children aged 10 and up who are charged with first-degree homicide are tried as adults, though they can ask the court to transfer their cases back to juvenile court jurisdiction.
