Andrew Frye

Andrew Frye

11-Year-Old Boy Charged With Murder In Brother's Killing

6-Year-Old Boy Shot In Head

July 1, 2011

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WRTV-6) -- An 11-year-old boy is being charged with murder in the shooting death of his 6-year-old brother.

Andrew Frye was shot in the head with a .22-caliber gun at his home south of Martinsville on Thursday afternoon, the Morgan County Sheriff's Department said.

The 11-year-old was the only other person at home, just east of State Road 37, at the time of the shooting, and he called 911 afterward, police said.

Morgan County Prosecutor Steve Sonnega announced Friday that the 11-year-old would be charged as a juvenile with murder and criminal recklessness.

According to Indiana law, juvenile murder charges are immediately upgraded to adult charges, but only if the person is 16 years old or older.

Authorities released the 11-year-old's name Friday, but 6News' policy is to not release the name of a juvenile unless he or she has been charged as an adult.

Sonnega declined to release many details of the shooting, citing strict privacy rules in juvenile court.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions," he said. "The detectives worked all last night... and they will continue to work all weekend."

Neighbors of the young boys were shocked by the violence.

"It is very sad, very sad," said neighbor Louise Taylor.

"He (Andrew Frye) was a good kid," said neighbor Jessica Purgason. "He was quiet. He just wanted to play. That's all he was about."

Police originally thought that the boy's shooting was an accident.

Also:

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - The 11-year-old stepbrother of the 6-year-old fatally shot Thursday in Morgan County is being charged with murder, officials said Friday.  The 11-year-old is being held at the Johnson County Detention Center. A hearing has been set for July 6.

The two boys were home alone when the shooting happened southwest of Martinsville, near Liberty Church Road and Ind. 37, police said Thursday. The younger brother was flown to Riley Hospital in Indianapolis, where he later died.

UPDATE:

July 28, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS -- The case of an 11-year-old Martinsville boy accused of fatally shooting his 6-year-old brother is raising questions about when sibling rivalry becomes something more serious.

The 11-year-old was charged last week as a juvenile with murder and reckless homicide in the death of Andrew Frye, who was shot in the head with a .22-caliber rifle at the family's home south of Martinsville on June 30.

The boys’ mother, Amanda Vandagrifft, 28, was charged Wednesday with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Class A felony, and three counts of neglect of a dependent, a Class D felony.

Vandagrifft's boyfriend, Matthew Boulden, was charged with three counts of neglect of a dependent, Class D felonies.

According to a probable cause affidavit, authorities believe Vandagrifft and Boulden should have known better than to leave the 11-year-old boy home alone with other children because he had acted violently in the past toward his siblings.

Court documents indicate that on the day of the shooting, the 11-year-old had asked his brother to clean his room. When the 6-year-old said he wouldn't clean his room, his brother told police that he went to get a rifle with the intention of scaring the boy.

Investigators said the boy had used knives and a gun in the past to scare his brother and sister into doing their chores.

The girl told police she once stepped between her brothers, telling the 11-year-old if he was going to kill the 6-year-old, he was going to have to kill her first.

Sharon Pierce with Prevent Child Abuse Indiana said most cases of fighting between siblings are not so severe.

"We all hear stories of what our big brothers or big sisters did to us when we were young, but usually, it's a very limited amount of harm that's done," she said.

But if the 11-year-old did have such serious issues in the past, child safety experts said the adults should have taken steps to make sure he did not have access to knives and guns.

The gun used in the shooting death of Andrew Frye was wedged between a desk and a wall in Vandagrifft’s bedroom, according to court records.

"I think always, as parents, we have to be so attentive to the safety and the reality of leaving our children alone and what is accessible in our home," Pierce said.

Pierce encouraged parents to talk to their children about violence and the relationships between siblings and to not ignore warning signs of a more serious problem.

Those who suspect a child is being abused or neglected are asked to call Indiana's Child Abuse Hotline at 800-800-5556. It's available 24 hours a day and reports can be made anonymously.

Authorities have released the 11-year-old's name, but 6News' policy is to not release the name of a juvenile unless he or she has been charged as an adult.

Sandra Kessler

Sandra Kessler

Prominent doctor suspected in girlfriend's death

Fox59 News has learned Dr. John Reynolds, the Chief Health Officer for the Morgan County Health Department could be facing an indictment for causing the death of his former girlfriend, 61 year-old Sandra Kessler.

Kimberly King Fox59
1:05 PM EDT, May 25, 2010

Martinsville, Ind. - Fox59 News has learned Dr. John Reynolds, the Chief Health Officer for the Morgan County Health Department could be facing an indictment for causing the death of his former girlfriend, Sandra Kessler, 61.

Kessler died November 9, 2009. Her death was suspicious and an investigation began. Now a grand jury is reviewing evidence this week.

Fox59 News learned Dr. Reynolds is, what's called, the target suspect, meaning the lead suspect in causing Kessler's death. Dr. Reynolds remains in his job as the Health Department's spokesman. It's a job he's held for approximately 10 years. Meanwhile, Sandra's daughters are remembering their mom as the case comes to light.

"She was the most loving caring and most wonderful person in the whole wide world," said Stephanie, Sandra's adult daughter.

"She didn't deserve to die."

"Everyone loved her in this community, she worked here 15 years," said Cassandra Kessler, Sandra's other daughter.

Fox59 News obtained the Coroner's report that lists her cause of death as intoxication with the narcotics morphine and codeine.

"They're pain medications and the side effect is sedation and an overdose results in respiratory failure," said Dr. George Ostheimer, a board member of the Morgan County Health Department.

Ostheimer said he knows Dr. Reynolds well. The news Reynolds is the focus of a grand jury investigation, to him, comes as a surprise.

"The administrator at the health department said they'd been called as witnesses to testify and that's all she knew," said Dr. Ostheimer.

Fox59 News learned Sandra may have received the narcotics at Dr. Reynolds spacious home that sits on a hill a few miles outside of downtown Martinsville.

"I don't want to discuss that," said Dr. Reynolds at his front door when asked about Sandra's death. As for his former girlfriend's death from narcotics, Dr. Reynolds had little to say.

"I haven't seen the toxicology report and I'm just not willing to discuss it."

The night Sandra died, investigators said instead of calling nearby Morgan County for an ambulance, Dr. Reynolds dialed to a Columbus ambulance service way out of town. Investigators say they found that suspicious.

"He's never had any lapse in moral ground or in the professional realm, he's always been impeccable," said Dr. Ostheimer who recommended Reynolds for the Health Officer job a decade ago.

Board chairman Dr. Paul Broderick said by phone that Dr. Reynolds had done an excellent job as director.

Sandra's daughters don't wish to discuss evidence or their possible testimony in the grand jury proceedings. They simply want to remember their Mom as their best friend.

"She always worked so hard for us, we didn't have a lot of money growing up but she was always there for us," said Stephanie.

Another woman may also have been involved in the scenario. Dr. Reynolds was also reportedly facing financial problems. It's unclear how those factors played into Sandra Kessler's death but they are reported as relevent in the grand jury case. Fox59 News will follow the investigation and have an update possibly in the next 10 days if Reynolds is cleared or indicted.