10 Killer Kids You May Not Have Heard Of

It is hard to fathom how a child could commit monstrous acts. The horrific murder of little James Bolger shocked everyone, even more, disturbing was the fact that this crime was committed by two young boys. Something no one could imagine in their wildest dreams, yet it has happened. Here are the 10 worst cases of killer kids that you may not have heard about:

Jesse Pomeroy

Born in 1859, Jesse Harding Pomeroy was the youngest person convicted of first-degree murder in the history of Massachusetts. Pomeroy committed his crimes between December 1871 and April 1874, making him only 12 years old when he began. Pomeroy’s MO was to lure younger boys to a secluded area, force them to strip, tie them up and torture them. Overall Pomeroy tortured 8 boys between the ages of 4 and 7 from 1871 to 1872. After being identified by his last 2 victims, Pomeroy was arrested and sent to live in the Westborough Boys Reform School until he turned eighteen. However, due to good behaviour, Pomeroy was released after 18 months.

Six weeks later, Pomeroy committed his first murder. Pomeroy lured 10-year-old Katie Curran to the basement of his mother’s shop, repeatedly stabbed her, and slashed her throat. He hid her body in the basement, washed up, and returned to work. It was not until the body of 4-year-old Horace Millen was found mutilated just outside of the city, that Pomeroy was arrested. He confessed to his crimes and was sentenced to hang. However, the execution was delayed and eventually commuted to a life sentence. Jesse Pomeroy died of natural causes in 1932.

Mary Bell

Mary Bell was born into poverty; her mother was a prostitute who on a couple of occasions attempted to kill Mary. Mary was sexually assaulted at the age of 5 and eventually prostituted by her parents. The day before Mary Bell turned 11 years old, she lured 4-year-old Martin Brown to an abandoned house and murdered him. After the murder, Mary and a second girl Norma Bell (not related) vandalized a nursery. Messages pertaining to the murder of Martin Brown were left, but police dismissed this as childish pranks.

The next victim Mary claimed was 3-year-old Brian Howe, and this time she did not act alone. Mary coerced Norma to join her in luring the toddler to “the wastelands”. Eventually, the police caught up with the two girls and Norma gave in to her conscience telling the police she watched Mary Bell kill the toddler. Both girls were charged with manslaughter. In December 1968, Norma was acquitted, but Mary was convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Mary Bell was sentenced to be detained at “Her Majesty's Pleasures”. Mary Bell was released in 1980, having served 12 years. She now lives in quiet anonymity in the United Kingdom. The only crime she committed after her release was some minor shoplifting as she struggled with living on the outside.

Eric Smith

Red-headed, freckle-faced Eric Smith grew up in Steuben County, New York. He was often the focus of school bullies due to his appearance, which led him to become a loner. On August 2, 1993, Eric Smith spotted 4-year-old Derrick Robie, he lured him into nearby woodland and murdered him. By 8th August 1993, Eric confessed to his mother that he murdered Derrick. His parents contacted law enforcement that same night.

One year later, Eric Smith was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to a minimum of nine years to life in prison. While in jail, Smith wrote an apology letter to Robie's family:

"I know my actions have caused a terrible loss in the Robie family, and for that, I am truly sorry. I've tried to think as much as possible about what Derrick will never experience: his 16th birthday, Christmas, anytime, owning his own house, graduating, going to college, getting married, his first child. If I could go back in time, I would switch places with Derrick and endure all the pain I've caused him. If it meant that he would go on living, I'd switch places, but I can't."

January 2020, Smith was denied parole for the 10th time since his incarceration. His next parole hearing is October 2021.

James Fairweather

James Fairweather is Britain's youngest serial. While other teens admired pop stars and action heroes; Fairweather admired serial killers, in particular, Peter Sutcliffe and Ted Bundy. He aspired just to be like them, Fairweather had a goal of collecting a total of 15 victims.

James resided in Colchester, United Kingdom. At school, he was often bullied and was involved in a number of violent incidents. Other students and a teacher recalled Fairweather choosing “murderer” as a desired career choice but brushed it off as posturing. Prior to beginning his murderous career, Fairweather had 2 charges already against him in 2013, he was convicted of criminal damage of a house; and in January 2014 he was convicted of a knifepoint robbery and given a 1-year supervised sentence. By March 2014, he had committed his first murder. 33-year-old James Attfield was stabbed as he walked through Castle Park. Three months later he claimed his second victim 31-year-old Essex University student Hahid Almanea. Almanea was violently stabbed near her home.

Thankfully Fairweather never claimed his quota, in May 2015 he was apprehended while lying in wait for his third victim. An observant dog walker spotted Fairweather loitering around the same area that he had killed his second victim and contacted the police. When the police arrived and interviewed Fairweather, he was wearing rubber-gripped gloves and had a knife. He told the police “I’m waiting for someone to kill. I’ve done it before.” On 29 April 2016, James Fairweather was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 27 years.

Craig Price

Craig Price committed his first at the tender age of 13. Price broke into a home only two houses away from his own and stabbed 27-year-old Rebecca Spencer, 58 times. Two years later in 1989 after taking LSD and marijuana, Price broke into the home of widowed mother Joan Heaton. He stabbed her and her two daughters Jennifer (10) and Melissa (8).

Two weeks after the murder of the Heaton family, Price was arrested. He calmly confessed to the crimes, showing no remorse. He also confessed to the murder of Rebecca Spencer in 1987. As he was arrested only one month before his 16th birthday, Price was tried and convicted as a minor. Price would be released when he turned 21 and his records would be sealed. Additional charges have ensured that Price has remained in prison these have included criminal contempt for refusing to take a psychiatric evaluation; extortion; and fighting. He has stabbed a correctional officer who was attempting to break up a fight between Price and another inmate. These charges added an additional 10-25 years depending upon his cooperation with treatment. Price was denied parole in 2009 and was due for release in May 2020. In January 2019, Price was charged for stabbing a fellow inmate, and another 25 years have been added to his sentence.

Girl “A” – The Sasebo Slashing

On the 1st June 2004, at an elementary school in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, an 11-year-old girl, identified only as Girl “A” slit the throat and arms of her 12-year-old classmate Satomi Mitarai. The girls were noticed missing by their teacher at around 12:30 pm during lunch. As the teacher began to worry about the girls’ absence, Girl “A” returns to the class covered in blood. She stated that the blood was not hers. The teacher went to look for Satomi and discovered her body at 12:45 pm. An ambulance was called but Satomi had already died.

The police took Girl “A” into custody. Girl “A’ confessed to her crimes but offered no motive initially. She spent the night at the police station crying and refusing to eat. Later she stated that she and Satomi had argued over a number of internet posts. Girl “A” claimed that Satomi commented on her weight and called her a “goody-goody”.

In Japan, by law, a child under the age of 13 cannot be held criminally responsible for their actions and it is up to the Family Court to decide the consequences for the child. Girl “A” was sentenced to be institutionalized, at a reformatory in Tochigi Prefecture. Due to communication issues and her obsessive interests Girl “A” was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. She was originally sentenced to 2 years in 2004, but this was extended to another 2 years. Girl “A” was released in 2008.

Joshua Phillips

In Jacksonville, Florida 14-year-old Joshua Phillips and 8-year-old Maddie Clifton were playing baseball. Maddie pitched the ball to Joshua who swung and hit it. The ball flew back and hit Maddie in the eye. Fearful that his alcoholic and abusive father would discover that he had a friend over, Joshua took Maddie inside and strangled her with a phone cord. During this time Joshua’s father returned home, in a panic, he hit her with bat and hid her under the bed. Joshua left Maddie and spent some time his father. Upon his return to his room, Joshua found Maddie still alive and moaning, he then stabbed her 11 times.

Initially, the suspect in the case was another neighbour of the Clifton and Phillips families. Fifteen years previously the neighbour had been charged with 2 counts of sexual battery. Despite failing a lie detector test, the neighbour was cleared of Maddie disappearance because he had an alibi. It was not until a week later that Joshua’s mother went to clean his room and noticed the waterbed was “leaking”. When she checked the bed, Joshua’s mother discovered Maddie’s body. She immediately ran out of the house and called the police. Joshua was arrested at school.

Joshua was charged with 1st-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. He will be eligible for sentence review in 2023.

Natasha Cornett

Born in rural Pike County, Eastern Kentucky Natasha Cornett grew up in a poor family. She was alienated in junior high school and suffered anorexia and bipolar disorder. These conditions went untreated due to the lack of health insurance. Natasha dropped out of high school and was married by her 17th birthday. The marriage only lasted a few months. By 1997 Natasha was looking to escape Pike county and with 5 other disaffected youths hit the road. Natasha became the informal leader of the group which also included Edward Mullins (19), Joseph Risner (20), Crystall Sturgill (18), Jason Bryant (14) and Karen Howell (17).

At a rest stop in Greenville Tennessee, the group came across the Lillelid family. Vidar (34), his wife Delfina (28), their daughter Tabitha (6) and son Peter (2) were Jehovah’s Witnesses hoping of helping the troubled youths. What was meant to be kind deed, turned into a nightmare for the Lillelid family. The youths kidnapped them, drove them out to a deserted road and shot the family. Both Vidar and Delfina were found dead, Tabitha died on the way to the hospital, but little Peter miraculously survived. The youths were apprehended 2 days later at the Mexican border as they were trying to enter Mexico without the proper papers. They were also still driving the Lillelid’s van.

On March 13, 1998, Cornett was convicted with the five other youths for the murders. Her conviction was the result of a plea bargain where Cornett pleaded guilty to all charges against her to avoid a possible death sentence. Despite taking the plea bargain, court testimony established that she did not participate in the actual shooting of the four victims. During her own testimony, Cornett claimed she tried, unsuccessfully, to prevent the deaths. They all admitted to first-degree murder and each received three life sentences. Cornett now resides at the Tennessee Prison for Women, Nashville.

Ronald Salazar Jnr.

Ronald Salazar Jnr has served just over a decade of a life sentence for the murder of his 11-year-old sister. He was just 14 years old when he committed the crime. Ronald Salazar Jnr was born 1990, in El Salvador. His parents left him with abusive relatives when they moved to America for a better life. It was not until he was 10 years old that he rejoined his family in Miami.

Hoping to be embraced by his parents, Ronald felt abandoned and an outcast.

“I thought they were going to embrace my pain, that they were going to say sorry, we left you there the whole time by yourself. It was nothing like that. They said they had a rougher life, that I didn’t have the right to complain. I felt rejected.”

Ronald began to lash out and was committed to a hospital for psychological evaluation after threatening to kill himself and his family. Salazar killed his sister in July 2005 soon after his release. According to police, the killing was sparked after an argument between the siblings. Salazar raped, strangled and then cut his sister, Marina ’s throat from ear-to-ear. He then tried to cover up his actions by claiming that men had stormed the house and killed, but later confessed. Ronald Salazar Jnr was charged with 1st-degree murder and sexual battery of his sister and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

Armarjeet Sada

The most shocking on the list would have to be 8-year-old Armarjeet Sada. Armarjeet lived with his family in a small village Bhagwanpur in Begusarai. In 2006 Armarjeet murdered his 6-month-old cousin and it was not long after, he murdered his own 8-month-old sister. While Armarjeet’s family and some villagers were aware of the child’s involvement in these two murders, they were considered “family matters” and went unreported. In 2007 Armarjeet killed again, this time a neighbour’s 6-month-old daughter named Kushboo. Kushboo’s mother, Chunchun Devi, left her daughter at the village primary school to sleep while she tended to her chores. When she returned, her daughter was gone. Villagers who were aware of Amarjeet’s past confronted the boy, who admitted to killing Kushboo.

After his arrest, Armarjeet also confessed to the murder of his sister and cousin. Inspector Shatrudhan Kumar of Bihar police said that all the killings had been carried out in an identical manner. “He said he took the children to the fields and hit them with a stone and killed them. He has been charged with murder” he added. When asked about the boy’s mental condition, police said that when questioned, Sada “just smiled a lot and asked for biscuits.”

Armarjeet was evaluated by professionals and found to be suffering from a behavioural disorder. Panta-based psychoanalyst Shamshad Hussain found that this behaviour disorder causes Armarjeet to behave in a sadistic manner. Due to a severe chemical imbalance in Sada’s brain, he receives a sense of gratification from injuries to others. According to a former psychology professor at Patna University, Armarjeet did not have a sense of right or wrong when he committed the murders due to his conduct disorder. It is believed with medication, levels of chemicals in his brain can be balanced. In the end, the boy was charged with murder and tried as a juvenile. He is currently living in a children’s home in India where he will stay until he is 18 years of age.