A YOUNG child was discovered dead from several stab wounds, prompting authorities to detain the boy’s grandfather as the suspected murderer.
According to authorities, eight-year-old Brenym McDonald has “sharp force injuries to his neck and chest.”
The young kid, who lived with his grandfather and other family in Fort Worth, Texas, was found dead on Sunday at around 8 a.m. by Richland Hills police.
Police were successful in finding the alleged murder weapon, according to Richland Hills spokeswoman Sheena McEachran.
According to McEachran, a resident of the house made the police call.
Phillip Hughes, a 62-year-old grandfather, was apprehended for Brenym’s murder after being discovered by police near a middle school, roughly a block from the scene of the crime.
Hughes’ neighbor told WFAA: “I never would have imagined this happening.
“They would be outside in the driveway drawing pictures with chalk on the driveway.
“Uh, just just in love with each other. They truly were, the child was Phil’s pride and joy.”
According to court documents obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Hughes had one prior criminal conviction for drunk driving in 2020, for which he received a 90-day jail sentence.
The neighbor also mentioned to WFAA that Hughes “had issues.”
“He was an Army veteran, and he did a terrible thing, but also, um, he had issues going back a long way, and, um, it’s just a terrible tragedy.
“It’s just heartbreaking,” the neighbor said.
McDonald was described as “smart, enthusiastic, always smiling with the biggest heart,” on a GoFundMe page, posted on behalf of the “devastated” family.
“There wasn’t a single room he couldn’t light up with his smile or a story he couldn’t tell you that would make you laugh,” the post read.
McDonald’s great-grandmother Linda Hubbard, along with other relatives, came to Texas from Missouri after the little boy’s death.
She told CBS News that McDonald was “just a normal 8-year-old boy, full of life.”
“He liked to cook, which we were excited about.
“My daughter had ordered him a chef’s hat with his name on it and an apron. He brought that with him so he could help in the kitchen.
“He just had fun,” Hubbard recounted.
The Birdville school district, where the little boy attended, made a statement on Monday.
It read: “Sadly, this was one of our students. Campus staff has been processing this tragedy today and calling parents in the impacted grade level.
“We will have additional counselors on campus tomorrow when student return.”
