New Hampshire teenager charged with the murder of relatives

• Eric Swinney is charged with the murder of his sister and two cousins
• The murder occurred in September 2022
• Swinney may face life in prison

Concord, New Hampshire — A man from New Hampshire, who is accused of murdering his sister and two cousins, plans to plead not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder. Eric Swinney, who is currently 19 years old, lives with the family of his older brother in Northfield, where, according to prosecutors, he shot Kassandria Swinney, 25, and her sons — four-year-old Benjamin and one-year-old Mason in September 2022.

Swinney was supposed to appear before the court next month for the first-degree murder charge, but instead of this, he decided to plead guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder in Merrimack County Superior Court. Swinney, whose attorney argued the possibility of a plea deal, may receive life in prison during the next hearing.

Along with prosecutors, Swinney's older brother, Sean, and his friend were reportedly involved in a situation where his "emerging behavioral problems" began to create tension at home. Court documents indicate that Swinney had been abusing drugs and violating rules at home, which forced them to call the police.

Approximately two months before the murders, he left a note, in which he stated: "I do not belong to this family. I just steal, break things, and do not apologize." Conversely, in notes he wrote: "I love you, big brother and sister, please." When he was arrested, Swinney told the police that he was hiding in his room in the basement when he heard a sound, as if something was breaking, a strong human voice, and several "pops." Later he raised the gun and saw his sister and cousins on the floor in blood.

Swinney took the mobile phone of Kassandria and her keys and left, calling the police. Prosecutors planned to present video recordings that Kassandria Swinney made on the phone, where her sons "were playing" before the shooting, including one created just 10 minutes before Eric Swinney left the house.

"In all three videos, the victims do not show any signs of struggle or other visible or audible signs, which would indicate the presence of an unknown or unwanted third party in the house," it says in the document of the prosecutors from last month.

Tags: USA/Crime