List of youngest killers explained

This is a list of youngest killers, i.e. the youngest people confirmed by reliable sources to have deliberately killed another human being. Individuals in this list are documented to be age 17 or younger.

__TOC__

Younger than age 13

Name	Date of birth	Date of killing(s)	Age at time of killing(s)	Location	Country	Killed	Injured	Penalty of perpetrator(s)	Current status of perpetrator(s)	Ref.
Unnamed boy	?	December 30, 1892	3	Gol					Deceased	^[1]
Ms. Ziapasa	1902–1903	April 12, 1906	3	Benwood, West Virginia				Not charged due to her age.	Deceased	^[2]
Retta McCabe	1892–1893	October 30, 1897	4	Troy, New York				Not charged due to her age.	Deceased	^[3] ^[4]
Unnamed boy	?	October 1924	4-5	Ryfylke					Unknown	^[5]
Unnamed girl	?	April 1898	5	Naples					Deceased	^[6]
Carl Newton Mahan	September 22, 1922	May 18, 1929	6 years, 7 months and 26 days	Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky				Arrested, sentenced to 15 years in reform school, but did not serve a sentence after the judge reviewed the case	Deceased	^[7]
Unnamed boy	1993	February 29, 2000	6	Buell Elementary School, Mount Morris Township, Michigan				He could not be legally charged with murder because of his age.	Unknown	^[8]
Lizzie Cook	1892–1893	February 27, 1899	6	Birmingham, Alabama					Deceased	^[9]
Unnamed boy	?	June 2, 1910	6	Oslo					Unknown	^[10]
Unnamed boy	January 2014	January, 2022	7	Nixon, Texas				Could not be criminally charged due to his age	Sent to a psychiatric hospital.	^[11]
Virginia Hudson	?	July 23, 1887	7	Granville, South Carolina				Arrested and charged with murder	Deceased	^[12]
Robert Robertson	?	1908	7	Launceston, Tasmania				Arrested and charged with murder	Deceased	^[13]
Unnamed Boy	1986-1987	July 8, 1995	8	La Ronge, Saskatchewan				Not charged due to his age. 14 year old Sandy Charles was found not guilty by reason of insanity.	Unknown	^[14] ^[15]
Amarjeet Sada	1998	2006–2007	8	Begusarai, Bihar				Arrested and taken into custody	Unknown	^[16] ^[17]
Carroll Cole	May 9, 1938	1946	8	Richmond, California				The murder was not discovered until he later confessed; he murdered at least 15 more victims during adulthood. He was executed by lethal injection on December 6, 1985	Deceased
Unnamed girl	?	1867	8	Cassville, Missouri				Found insane	Deceased	^[18]
Unnamed boy	c. 2006	February 7, 2014	8	Padre Hurtado	Chile			Not charged due to his age.	Unknown	^[19]
Patrick Knowles	?	May 1903	8	Stockton-on-Tees, England				Arrested, sentenced to detention at His Majesty's pleasure; served 9 years in prison	Deceased	^[20] ^[21] ^[22] ^[23]
Christian Romero	December 29, 1999	November 5, 2008	8 years, 10 months and 7 days	St. Johns, Arizona				The charge for the killings was dropped, and he was sentenced to an indefinite stay in a youth treatment center near Phoenix. He later moved to a group home and then a foster home	Released	^[24] ^[25]
Mary Cooper	?	1885	9	Richmond, Virginia				Arrested	Deceased	^[26]
Unnamed boy	?	May 6, 2019	9	Fawn River Township, Michigan				The charge for the killings was dropped	Released	^[27]
Kyle Alwood	?	April 6, 2019	9	Goodfield, Illinois				Charged with murder.	In custody	^[28]
Cayetano Santos Godino	October 31, 1896	March 29, 1906 – December 3, 1912	9 years, 4 months and 29 days – 16 years, 1 month and 3 days	Buenos Aires				The first murder was not discovered until he later confessed; in 1912 (aged 15–16) he killed three other victims; he was arrested several times, and the last one was between 1912 and 1944	Deceased	^[29]
Unnamed boy	2011–2012	September 2022	10	Haicheng Township, Heilongjiang				Arrested along with a few of his friends who encouraged him to do it	Unknown	^[30]
William York	1738	May 13, 1748	10	Suffolk				Sentenced to death and later pardoned	Deceased	^[31]
Hubbard Harrell	?	February 2, 1888	10	Longview, near Eastman, Georgia				Unknown	Deceased	^[32]
James Osmanson	c. 1983–1984	April 12, 1994	10	Butte, Montana				Was not sent to jail but received treatment at a residential facility.	Released
Joseph Mcvay	2000	January 2, 2011	10	Big Prairie, Ohio				Held in a youth facility to be sentenced when he is 21-years-old	Incarcerated	^[33]
Unnamed girl	?	September 18, 2010	10	Sandy Springs, Georgia				Arrested and charged with murder		^[34]
Jane Walker	?	1886	10	Orangeburg, South Carolina				Arrested and charged with murder	Deceased	^[35]
James Arcene	c. 1862	?	10	Fort Gibson, Oklahoma				Arrested and sentenced to death	Executed on June 18, 1885
Robert Thompson and Jon Venables	August 23, 1982, and August 13, 1982	February 12, 1993	Thompson: 10 years, 5 months and 20 days Venables: 10 years, 5 months and 30 days	Liverpool, Merseyside				Both arrested, sentenced to 10 years in prison; were released in 2001 after serving eight years	Released
Unnamed boy	?	August 21, 2013	10	Broadview, Saskatchewan				Arrested; could not be criminally charged because he was a child	In the custody of the province	^[36] ^[37]
George Green	c. 1839	October 26, 1849	10	Kawartha Lakes, Ontario				Sentenced to death at age 11, sentence later commuted to life in prison at Kingston Pen	Died at Kingston Pen on August 21, 1852	^[38]
Joseph Hall	June 19, 2000	May 1, 2011	10 years, 10 months and 12 days	Riverside, California				Arrested and sentenced to imprisonment until he reaches the age of 23	Incarcerated
Mary Bell	May 26, 1957	May 25 – July 31, 1968	10 years and 364 days – 11 years, 1 month and 7 days	Scotswood, Newcastle upon Tyne				Arrested, sentenced to detention at Her Majesty's pleasure; served 12 years in prison; accomplice Norma Joyce Bell (no relation) was acquitted after found that she took no part in the actual murders	Released
Anton Wood	1881	November 1892	11	Denver, Colorado				Sentenced to 25 years to life in prison	Deceased	^[39]
Nellie Corneilson	?	January 15, 1902	11	Wichita, Kansas				Arrested and later sent to live with family member	Deceased	^[40]
Nathaniel Abraham	January 19, 1986	October 29, 1997	11 years and 9 months	Detroit, Michigan				Arrested and imprisoned until his 21st birthday; went back to prison for more crimes committed in adulthood	Incarcerated	^[41] ^[42] ^[43] ^[44] ^[45] ^[46]
Andrew Golden	May 25, 1986	March 24, 1998	11 years, 9 months and 27 days	Westside Middle School, Craighead County, Arkansas				Arrested, along with accomplice Mitchell Johnson, imprisoned until his 21st birthday	Deceased
Unnamed girl	c. 1992–1993	June 1, 2004	11	Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture					Arrested/Institutionalized. Name undisclosed to public due to legal reason.
Unnamed boy	2004	January 27, 2016	11	Perth, Australia				Sentenced to four years detention with the opportunity of early release on supervised parole.	Released
Nathan Faris	c. 1974–1975	March 2, 1987	12	De Kalb, Missouri				Died by suicide	Deceased	^[47]
Unnamed boy	c. 1987–1988	January 2000	12	Bristol					Arrested	^[48] ^[49]
Piedad Martínez del Águila	1953	December 4, 1965, to January 4, 1966	12	Murcia				Arrested/Institutionalized	Unknown	^[50] ^[51] ^[52]
Mary Maher	?	August 21 – September 8, 1906	12	Dunkitt, County Kilkeny				Died by suicide	Deceased	^[53]
Jose Reyes	July 2, 2001	October 21, 2013	12 years, 3 months and 19 days	Sparks Middle School, Sparks, Nevada				Died by suicide	Deceased
Lionel Tate	January 30, 1987	July 28, 1999	12 years, 5 months and 28 days	Broward County, Florida				Arrested and originally sentenced to Life without parole which was reduced to one year's house arrest and 10 years' probation and was sent back to prison for violating his probation and committing armed robbery and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment with a 10-year sentence to run concurrently	Incarcerated
Christopher Pittman	April 9, 1989	November 28, 2001	12 years, 7 months and 19 days	Chester, South Carolina				Arrested and originally sentenced to 30 years to life in prison which was reduced to 25 years on appeal	Released
Hannah Ocuish (guilt disputed)^[54] ^[55]	March 1774	July 21, 1786	12 years and 9 months	New London, Connecticut				Sentenced to death	Executed on December 20, 1786
Evan Drake Savoie and Jake Lee Eakin	November 14, 1990 (Eakin), October or November 1990 (Savoie)	February 15, 2003	Both 12	Ephrata, Washington				14 years in prison (Eakin), 26 years in prison reduced to 20 years after appeal (Savoie)	Both released
Jasmine Richardson	c. 1993–1994	April 23, 2006	12	Medicine Hat, Alberta				Arrested and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment	Released
Chen	2006	December 2, 2018	12	Yuanjiang, Hunan					Released	^[56]
Curtis Fairchild Jones	May 31, 1986	January 6, 1999	12	Port St. John, Florida				Sentenced to 17 years in prison along with his 13-year-old sister Catherine for murder	Released	^[57]
Unnamed boy	?	September 29, 2019	12	São Paulo				Sentenced to 3 years in prison	Incarcerated	^[58] ^[59]
Alex King	1989	November 26, 2001	12	Cantonment, Florida				Killed his father. Arrested along with his accomplice, his older brother Derek (age 13), and sentenced to 7 years in prison.	Deceased	^[60] ^[61]
Danny Charles Preddie	1988	November 27, 2000	12	London				Arrested along with his accomplice, his older brother Ricky, and sentenced to 8 years in prison.	Released in 2011
Unnamed boy	?	October 18, 2019	12	Curitiba				Temporarily detained for 45 days	Incarcerated	^[62] ^[63] ^[64]
Howard Lang	1935	October 18, 1947	12	Chicago, Illinois				Arrested, sentenced to 22 years in prison after first trial	Acquitted on appeal in second trial after being judged too young to be responsible for his actions; released under supervision.	^[65] ^[66] ^[67]
Edwin Debrow	1979	September 21, 1991	12	San Antonio, Texas				Arrested, sentenced to 27 years in prison.	Released in 2019	^[68] ^[69] ^[70] ^[71] ^[72]
Terrence Darron Sampson	March 23, 1977	December 2, 1989	12	Round Rock, Texas				Arrested, sentenced to 30 years in prison.	Released in 2019
Bailey Junior Kurariki	May 15, 1989	September 12, 2001	12	Papakura, Auckland				Arrested, sentenced to 7 years in prison.	Released in 2008
Juan Manuel Cardenas Jr.	1977	December 18, 1989	12	Orange, California				Sentenced to 1 year in jail	Released in 1991

Notes and References

1. News: January 5, 1893 . . . 57 . 3 . 2 . Et 3 Aars gammelt Barn dræber sin Søster. . A Three-year Old Child Kills Own Sister. . Norwegian.
2. News: April 13, 1906 . Baby Kills a Baby . 7 . The Charlotte Observer . live . March 5, 2023 . http://web.archive.org/web/20230305000000/https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn91068257/1906-04-13/ed-1/seq-7/ . March 5, 2023. Alt URL
3. Web site: Marin Journal 27 January 1898 — California Digital Newspaper Collection . August 10, 2022 . cdnc.ucr.edu.
4. News: 1897-10-31 . HERE IS A BABY JEKYLL AND HYDE . 37 . New York journal and advertiser .
5. News: October 17, 1924 . . 32 . 242 . 6 . En sørgelig tildragelse . A sorrowful occurrence . Norwegian.
6. News: April 29, 1898 . . 8 . 120 A . 2 . Mærkeligt Drab . Peculiar Killing . Norwegian.
7. Web site: Carl Newton Mahan Shot His Friend . Inside Edition . CBS interactive . November 25, 2019.
8. News: Michigan first-grader fatally shot by classmate . CNN.com . Garsten . Ed . July 8, 2007 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20080103013335/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/29/school.shooting.04/ . January 3, 2008.
9. News: March 3, 1899 . Child Murderess Deliberately Burns Her 2-year-old Brother to Death . August 10, 2022.
10. News: June 2, 1910 . . 92 . 303 . 2 . Et Revolverdrama. . A Revolver Drama. . Norwegian.
11. Web site: 'We're looking for answers' | 10-year-old Texas boy linked to 2022 killing, according to officials . 19 April 2024 .
12. News: July 26, 1887 . A VERY YOUNG MURDERESS. . en-US . The New York Times . August 10, 2022 . 0362-4331.
13. News: The Child Murderer. Accused Boy in Court . Launceston . June 25, 1908.
14. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Boy+of+14+saw+horror+movie+10+times...now+he's+on+trial+for+the...-a061157029 Boy of 14 saw horror movie 10 times...now he's on trial for the killing that shook a nation; 'He stabbed victim, 7, and boiled his flesh'.
15. https://apnews.com/440bd7df21af1ca6f1e4d1554d97979a Youth Killed and Skinned Young Playmate, Court Hears
16. News: Ramesh . Randeep . June 1, 2007 . Eight-year-old boy accused of three murders . . en-GB . October 15, 2019.
17. Web site: Born to Be Vile? What turns on the 'serial killer' switch? . Katherine. Ramsland . . February 16, 2014.
18. News: July 29, 1867 . Young Murderress deliberately shoots brother . The Evening Star . August 10, 2022.
19. News: February 8, 2014. Un niño de ocho años mató a su primo de siete por una tablet: le dio 47 puñaladas. SoyChile . July 15, 2024.
20. Web site: Home Office. Patrick Knowles, criminal lunatic for murder: Removal under discharge from .
21. Web site: The Child Criminal (13 June 1903): The Spectator Archive.
22. Web site: Horrific murder of baby buried alive in Stockton by child killer . gazettelive.co.uk . May 12, 2019 .
23. Web site: British Newspaper Archive. British Newspaper Archive.
24. News: Burgoyne . Lauren . November 10, 2008 . 8-Year-old charged with two counts of first-degree murder . KOLD . Gray Television, Inc. . October 15, 2019.
25. News: Fonseca . Felicia . December 26, 2017 . St. Johns boy killed his father when he was 8. Now his probation is ending as he turns 18 . www.azcentral.com . October 15, 2019.
26. News: April 1, 1885 . A Youthful murderess: A Boy of Seven Hanged by a Female Cousin of Eight Years Old . The Fairfield News and Herald . August 10, 2022.
27. Web site: May 13, 2019 . Mom Feared 9-Year-Old Son Who Shot Her to Death Would Become 'Serial Killer,' Daughter Says . Inside Edition . November 7, 2019.
28. Web site: October 9, 2019. 9-year-old charged with murder in 5 Illinois fire deaths. November 20, 2020. AP NEWS.
29. News: January 5, 2018 . El verano en el que "El Petiso Orejudo" se transformó en el primer asesino serial del país . Clarín . Arte Gráfico Editorial Argentino S.A. . The summer in which "The Macrotous Runt" became the first serial killer in the country . es . October 13, 2019.
30. Web site: 10-year-old boy arrested in China for choking his grandmother to death . September 14, 2022 .
31. Web site: WILLIAM YORK . The Newgate Calendar . April 6, 2019.
32. News: A TRIPLE MURDER . 6 October 2023 . The Dodge County Journal . The Daily Transcript . February 6, 1888.
33. Web site: Holmes County boy admits killing mom in fight over chores . The Columbus Dispatch . Gannett Co., Inc. . November 25, 2019 . en . June 12, 2013.
34. Web site: October 3, 2010 . Babysitter Charged In Toddler's Murder Is 10, Not 11 . August 10, 2022 . Juvenile Justice Information Exchange . en-US.
35. News: June 3, 1886 . A Ten-year-Old Murderess. . The Chimes and Democrat . August 10, 2022.
36. News: Suspect in Saskatchewan six-year-old's death is under 12 and can't be charged: RCMP . September 3, 2013 . The Globe and Mail . November 1, 2019.
37. News: April 17, 2015 . Lee Bonneau inquest: 'Heartbreaking' case, coroner says . CBC . November 1, 2019.
38. Web site: Duhaime . Lloyd . October 7, 2011 . 1850, 11-Year Old Sentenced to Death . duhaime.org . October 13, 2019.
39. Web site: Anton Woode, 11 year-old psychopath almost hanged for murder, 1892. www.historicalcrimedetective.com.
40. News: Clipped from the Wichita Eagle. The Wichita Eagle. January 17, 1902. 6.
41. News: Michigan Boy Who Killed at 11 Is Convicted of Murder as Adult . Bradsher . Keith . November 17, 1999 . The New York Times . April 6, 2019 . en-US . 0362-4331.
42. News: Michigan judge sentences boy killer to juvenile detention. January 13, 2000 . CNN. December 1, 2020. en-US.
43. Web site: Nathaniel Abraham sent back to prison for dealing drugs.
44. Web site: Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) - Offender Profile. mdocweb.state.mi.us.
45. Web site: Nathaniel Abraham, convicted of murder at 13, now locked up for drugs. www.theoaklandpress.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20210203151524/https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/nathaniel-abraham-convicted-of-murder-at-13-now-locked-up-for-drugs/article_ba6c0cf2-980b-11e9-b67d-d35c3ad5b738.html . February 3, 2021.
46. Web site: Nathaniel Abraham headed back to prison on drug charges. June 25, 2019.
47. News: US School Violence Fast Facts . December 17, 2018 . CNN . Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. . April 6, 2019.
48. News: Carter . Helen . February 12, 2001 . Boy, 13, killed baby after row with mother . The Guardian . Guardian News & Media Limited . en-GB . November 2, 2019.
49. News: February 12, 2001 . Autistic boy killed baby brother . BBC News . en-GB . November 2, 2019.
50. Web site: Rada . Juan . Piedad, la niña de 12 años que envenenó a sus cuatro hermanos harta de cuidarlos . December 4, 2016 . El Español . El León de El Español Publicaciones S.A. . es-ES . Piedad, the 12-year-old girl who poisoned her four brothers fed up with taking care of them . April 6, 2019.
51. Web site: Fernández . Ricardo . Piedad creó cuatro ángeles . March 24, 2013 . La Verdad . La Verdad Multimedia, S.A. . es . Piedad created four angels . April 6, 2019.
52. Web site: Sonrisas envenenadoras . June 2, 2002 . Memba . Javier . El Mundo . Poisonous smiles . April 6, 2019.
53. News: January 10, 1907 . 11-year-old Murderess: Irish child kills three of her sisters . Evening News . August 10, 2022.
54. Web site: Suess . Jessica . The Heinous Execution of Hannah Ocuish, Aged 12, by the State of Connecticut . 2023-07-25 . OddFeed . 17 February 2023 . en-US.
55. Web site: Florin . Karen . March 7, 2020 . Centuries-old murder case to be revisited in New London . 2022-07-05 . The Day . en-US.
56. News: 12-Year-Old in China Kills His Mother, Then Returns to School, Igniting an Outcry . Qin . Amy . December 14, 2018 . The New York Times . April 6, 2019 . en-US . 0362-4331.
57. News: Torres . John A. . July 28, 2015 . Jailed at 12, youngest convicted killer now free at 29 . USA Today . Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. . October 13, 2019.
58. News: Galvão . César . October 1, 2019 . Adolescente confessa ter matado menina de 9 anos na Zona Norte de SP, diz polícia . G1 . Globo Comunicação e Participações S.A. . Teen confesses to kill 9-year-old girl in the Northern Zone of São Paulo, says police . pt . October 2, 2019.
59. News: November 7, 2019 . Caso Raíssa: Justiça condena adolescente acusado de matar menina por feminicídio e estupro de vulnerável . G1 . Globo Comunicação e Participações S.A. . Raíssa Case: Justice condemns teenager accused of killing girl for femicide and vulnerable rape . pt . November 8, 2019.
60. News: King brothers guilty of killing their father . September 9, 2002 . CNN . Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. . October 30, 2019.
61. Keating . Caitlin . Smolowe . Jill . October 21, 2013 . Life After Murder . People . Meredith Corporation . October 30, 2019.
62. News: Villa . Mirian . October 21, 2019 . Marido de idosa morta a facadas por criança descreve momento do ataque . RIC Mais . Rádio e Televisão Record S.A. . Husband of elderly woman stabbed to death by child describes time of attack . pt . December 6, 2019.
63. News: October 22, 2019 . Menino de 12 anos diz que matou vizinha porque ela flagrou furto . RIC Mais . Rádio e Televisão Record S.A. . 12-year-old boy says he killed neighbor because she caught him doing the theft . pt . December 6, 2019.
64. News: October 22, 2019 . GAROTO DE 12 ANOS É APREENDIDO APÓS MATAR IDOSA A FACADAS NO PARANÁ . Primeiro Impacto . SBT . 12-YEAR-OLD BOY IS APPREHENDED AFTER STABBING ELDERLY WOMAN TO DEATH IN PARANÁ . pt . December 6, 2019.
65. "LANG ACQUITTED BY JUDGE IN 2D MURDER TRIAL: State Plans New Move to Confine Him", Chicago Daily Tribune, April 27, 1949. p. 7.
66. News: 13-YEAR-OLD KILLER BAFFLES STUDENTS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE . Wilmington Daily Press Journal . July 10, 1948 . Chicago . 3 . . October 29, 2019 . limited.
67. Web site: SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT: Children and Crime | The-Solute. www.the-solute.com.
68. Web site: Convicted of Murder at Age 12, Edwin Debrow Finally Walks Free – Texas Monthly. September 6, 2019.
69. Web site: 12-year-old Killer Dallas Observer. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160630102309/http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/12-year-old-killer-6390714. June 30, 2016.
70. Web site: 'SICK LITTLE MONSTER,' 12, GETS 32 YEARS FOR MURDER – Orlando Sentinel . 28 February 1992 .
71. Web site: Nearly 30 Years After Murder Conviction, Man Begins Quest For New Life. spectrumlocalnews.com.
72. Web site: The School Shooting That Austin Forgot – Texas Monthly. March 18, 2020.