Teen Kills Classmate - A 16-year-old high school football player has been charged with the murder of his classmate after investigators found a 'selfie' he took with the dead victim's body.
Maxwell Marion Morton of Jeanette, Penn. has been charged with first-degree murder, homicide and possession of a firearm. According to Trib Media, Morton is being held at the Westmoreland County juvenile detention center without bail. He is being charged as an adult.
Teen Kills Classmate And Takes Selfie With Body pic.twitter.com/OknCwrEwb9
— Thistu Sukon (@HNICishere) February 9, 2015
Police were called to a home in Jeanette on Wednesday after a mother reported finding the body of her 16-year-old son shot to death. Ryan Mangan was found sitting with a single gunshot wound to his face. Although police found a photo of Mangan holding a gun on his phone, neighbors and officials at the Jeanette City School District - where both the suspect and the victim attended - have described him as a good kid. There were no immediate clues about how Mangan was killed; nonetheless police ruled it as a homicide.
On Thursday, the mother of another student in the same school called the police to report that Morton had sent her son a 'selfie' of himself and the dead body of Mangan. It is unclear exactly why Morton had sent the photo.
A police affidavit describes the photo as having the body of Mangan in a sitting position - as he was found - in the background of the photo, while Morton's face graced the screen. Over the top of the photo, Morton had written his first name 'MAXWELL.'
Morton reportedly sent the photo via Snapchat. He also sent two text messages to the same student saying, "Told you I cleaned up the shells," and "Ryan was not the last one."
Investigators reportedly found a weapon in Morton's home that is consistent with shell casings found at the crime scene, but it is yet to be matched ballistically. Police say Morton has confessed to killing Mangan. But it is still unclear what may have led to the incident.
Officials at Jeanette City School District have expressed shock at the incident. Reports indicate that counselors have been provided for students.
A preliminary hearing for the case is scheduled for Feb. 19.
