An 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy has waived his preliminary hearing after being charged as an adult with criminal homicide in the shooting death of his adoptive father.
Clayton Dietz is accused of killing 42-year-old Douglas Dietz inside their Duncannon home shortly after midnight on January 13.
According to Fox News, Clayton appeared Thursday at the Perry County Courthouse in New Bloomfield. His case will now move forward in the Court of Common Pleas.
Allegations Detailed in Court Records
According to court records cited by WHP, the events began after the family celebrated Clayton’s birthday by singing “Happy Birthday” before going to bed.
Investigators allege that Clayton later searched for his Nintendo Switch before locating keys to a gun safe, as Slay News previously reported.
He allegedly opened the safe, removed a revolver, loaded it, pulled back the hammer, and shot his adoptive father while he slept.
Douglas Dietz reportedly suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Jillian Dietz, Douglas’s wife, told investigators she woke to a loud noise and attempted to wake her husband.
She discovered blood on the bed and found him unresponsive.
When Clayton entered the room, she reportedly yelled words to the effect of “Daddy’s dead.”
The boy allegedly ran downstairs shouting, “My dad’s dead.”
A responding state trooper reported that Clayton told him:
“I killed Daddy.”
Court documents further state that Clayton indicated “he had someone in mind who he was going to shoot.”
Authorities have not described the shooting as accidental.
Legal Proceedings Underway
Pennsylvania State Police responded at approximately 3 a.m. to a report of a male with a gunshot wound, according to a release from the Perry County District Attorney’s Office.
Troopers found Douglas Dietz deceased at the scene.
Clayton was charged as an adult with criminal homicide.
Bail was denied, and he remains confined at the Perry County Prison.
On February 19, the criminal docket was marked “waived for court” after Clayton waived his preliminary hearing.
His defense attorney, Dave Wilson, has stated:
“My goal is going to be to try to get him into juvenile court.”
That issue is expected to become central to the case moving forward.
A Complex Legal Question
The case presents difficult legal and moral questions.
Under Pennsylvania law, certain serious offenses can result in juveniles being charged as adults, depending on the circumstances and the severity of the alleged crime.
Prosecutors are expected to focus on the alleged planning and deliberate actions described in court records.
Defense counsel is likely to argue that Clayton’s age warrants treatment within the juvenile justice system.
The court will ultimately determine whether the case remains in adult court or is transferred to juvenile jurisdiction.
The Victim
Douglas Dietz was 42 years old and had adopted Clayton.
According to court filings, the shooting occurred just hours after the family had celebrated the boy’s birthday.
The legal process ahead will examine issues of intent, competency, and jurisdiction.
But the core fact of the case remains: a father was shot and killed in his own home while he slept.
The investigation and court proceedings are ongoing.
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