Quiet Kansas Town Shocked By 10-Year Old Boy Killing His Father

Sunday nights in the Kansas town of Humboldt, population less than 2,000, are usually quiet family evenings. So when Carolyn Moore heard a light knock on her front door, the last thing she expected to see was a child standing there holding a shotgun. The boy, wearing only burgundy underwear and a frightened expression, said to Moore, "Help me, help me. Hide me. They're after me." Moore heard the fear in his voice as he continued, "They're going to get me and spank me hard. I done something really bad." Moore asked him what he had done, and the child replied, "I shot my dad."

The 10-year old boy, whose name was not released, was charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of his father, 43-year old Robert D. Hamlin. Hamlin was sitting on the living room couch when he was shot in the back of the head with a 20-gauge pump shotgun. After the shooting, is wife, Debbie, escaped from the house with their two younger children and ran to another neighbor's house. Hamlin's young son then walked up the road to Moore's house, carrying the shotgun with one unfired shell, according to authorities. Sheriff Tom Williams said that two other children, ages unknown, were coming out of the house when deputies arrived. Williams said that the shotgun is believed to be the murder weapon, and they will be testing evidence to show conclusively that it was the shotgun. He added, "We are investigating this as a criminal offense. We are looking at anything that relates to motive."

According to Carolyn Moore, the father was an extremely hard worker at a local factory, and he took care of his family. "He would do anything in the world for you," she said. According to school superintendent Bob Heigele, Hamlin's son was an average fourth grader who did not stand out at the Humboldt Elementary School. "He fit in well with our school and he didn't have any more problems than any other student in the fourth grade," Heigele said. "He was a typical boy. I saw him around and it appeared he was well-liked." The youngster has been charged as a juvenile and could be held until age 23 if he is convicted. A juvenile court hearing, closed to the public, was conducted Wednesday in the county seat of Iola. The windows of the courtroom door were covered with paper during the hearing, and Judge Dan Creitz ordered the case sealed, and ordered all parties involved not to talk about the case. According to Allen County Attorney Jerry Hathaway, such an order would prohibit any public comments about the case, and therefore no announcement would be made regarding court proceedings.

Humboldt, about 100 miles southwest of Kansas City, is a pleasant small town where most people can't remember the last time there was a murder anywhere nearby, much less in their own town. Although the incident has evoked feelings of shock and horror among townsfolk, many Humboldt residents feel sympathetic toward the boy and his family. "The little guy did something really wrong, but he needs help," said liquor store owner Janie Hutson. "He probably needs treatment more than he needs punishment."