12-Year-Old Girl Accused of Fatally Stabbing 9-Year-Old Brother While Parent Was Asleep

In a public statement, police said the "tragic homicide" occurred late into the night while the children's parent was asleep. The 12-year-old is now in custody.

January 10, 2023

A nine-year-old boy is dead after his 12-year-old sister allegedly stabbed him while their parent was asleep, officials in Oklahoma said last week.

Per a report from regional Tulsa outlet KOKI-TV, the alleged stabbing took place late into the night on Thursday, with police initially called to an apartment complex on a call of a 12-year-old “assaulting and stabbing” a nine-year-old. Prior to the call being placed, police said, the 12-year-old girl woke the parent to tell them she had stabbed her nine-year-old brother.

In a publicly shared statement on Friday, Tulsa Police Department Chief Wendell Franklin confirmed that the 12-year-old was then “in custody” in connection with the “tragic homicide” case.

“The nine-year-old male victim was rushed to the hospital and taken into surgery,” Franklin said at the time. “Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after 2:30 a.m. The 12-year-old female suspect was taken into custody and is currently being held at the Family Center for Juvenile Justice.”

In additional comments to reporters, Tulsa Police Department Captain Richard Meulenberg said there was “no easy end or easy path” in this case, noting that a determination of intent in the fatal stabbing would be made in court.

At the time of this writing, additional public information on the stabbing remained scarce due to the nature of the crime and the ages of those involved. Complex has reached out to the Tulsa Police Department, as well as to the agency’s Child Crisis Unit, for additional comment. This story may be updated.