A 13-year-old boy is facing a charge of first-degree murder after police say a youth died in hospital after being found outside an abandoned school southeast of Goderich, Ont., last week.
Police have only described the accused and victim as “youths” but Global News has confirmed the accused is a 13-year-old boy and local media outlets reported the victim was a 12-year-old girl.
Last Wednesday, police initially said emergency services were called to an address on Cutline Road between Parr Line and Tipperary Line just after 4 p.m. on July 2 and that “an individual was located, transported to hospital and later pronounced deceased.”
Later that day, police confirmed the victim and accused were youths and that the accused was facing a charge of first-degree murder.
On Thursday, police appealed to the public, hoping to speak with anyone who was in the area of the permanently closed Holmesville Public School between noon and 4:15 p.m. on the day of the murder, July 2. Motorists who were in the area at the time are also asked by police to check dashcam footage.
The lawyer for the accused said his next court date is Thursday in Goderich.
Global News has reached out to the Avon Maitland District School Board, the mayor and the deputy mayor of Central Huron but had not received a response by publication time.
An OPP spokesperson confirmed that they would be meeting with investigators and would provide more information once they were “in a position” to do so.
— with a file from Global News’ Kevin Nielsen
