A shirtless, babyfaced 12-year-old was led cuffed from a Florida police station to be transported to jail after being charged with a triple murder Thursday night.
Christopher Atkins, 12, and Robert Robinson, 17, were both hauled in and charged by the Marion County Sheriff over the deaths of three other minors whose bodies were found earlier this week.
A third suspect, Tahj Brewton, 16, is still being hunted by police, who have offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to his arrest.
In the video of Atkins, who was arrested at his home, he appears stony faced as he is flanked by a pair of deputies who take him to an awaiting police cruiser.
Robinson, who was picked up after brawling at school, is seen in a gray shirt with his hands cuffed in front of him.
He mutters to one officer who is escorting him from the station, but could be seen deliberately averting his gaze from the camera.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods claimed the three alleged killers were in a burglary gang with the three dead teenagers who were found last week, sparkling fears of a serial killer on the loose.
Speaking at a press conference Friday, Woods said: “There’s no honor among thieves. At some point, these three individuals turned on our three victims and murdered them.”
The first victim, 16-year-old softball standout Layla Silvernail, was found dead after being dumped on the side of the road on March 30.
An a-yet unidentified 17-year-old boy was discovered in a ditch the following morning on a roadway roughly a half-mile away, Woods said.
Police documents state he was wearing a ski mask and black gloves.
The third victim, Camille Quarles, 16, was found in the trunk of Silvernail’s car after it had been located in a pond nine miles away from where she was initially dumped at a pond near Ocklawaha, according to police.
“They fled the scenes but left a lot of evidence in their wake,” Woods said of the assailants.
Police paperwork suggests that one of the victims was intending to buy a firearm from the suspects before the slayings took place.
Police declined to give a detailed timeline of events, but indicated all six juveniles were traveling in Silvernail’s car together at some point.
Woods said a witness heard the fatal gunshots, and the victims were likely killed at the same time.
Police said prosecutors are considering trying the youths as adults given the gravity of the crime.
A GoFundMe page for Quarles said she was being raised by her aunt and had two siblings.
“She was really good at softball, she liked volleyball and basketball,” the post reads.
“She liked puzzles. She was really good at braiding my hair. She might’ve had ups and downs in life but she was still a good person.”
Woods said the gun used in the slayings was taken during a car burglary.
Sheriff Woods added: “This investigation has been a success because of several factors. Our law enforcement partners with the FBI, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, State Attorney Bill Gladson’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Ocala Police Department, my deputies, detectives, and forensics professionals, and finally, our citizens who provided numerous tips all along the way.”
Put these monkeys in a cage where they belong, and throw away the key.
“Police said prosecutors are considering trying the youths as adults given the gravity of the crime.”
When someone takes the life of another human being, they don’t deserve to be protected by their age.