MILWAUKEE — A pizza receipt led police to the arrest of a 12-year-old suspect in a Milwaukee homicide. The boy has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
According to a criminal complaint, Brandon Felton was shot and killed near 38th and Townsend on March 15.
When police arrived at the crime scene, they found a Dominos receipt that had the boy's phone number on it. Police ultimately got in contact with the boy's mother who brought him in for questioning on March 18.
The boy initially denied murdering Felton. He said he and other kids who live on the street would play video games with Felton. But, said he was not at Felton's house on March 15 and did not order food.
However, his story changed and he said he was at Felton's when he was killed and that Felton's friend "Sam" was there too, the complaint says. The three of them allegedly ordered Dominos and played video games before the homicide.
The boy told police that "Sam" then killed Felton and threatened to kill him too if he told anyone. After shooting Felton in the back of the head, "Sam" took an AR-15 rifle and a shotgun from Felton's bedroom and left, the boy alleged. After the murder, the boy said his friend picked him up.
Detectives searched the boy's phone and found text messages exchanged with a friend on March 9 discussing a plan to steal a shotgun and AR-15 style rifle, according to the complaint. The boy dropped a location pin, which was Felton's residence.
On March 20, the boy's mother told detectives that the boy lied to the police in his statement because he was scared. Instead, she said the boy went to Felton's with his friends to buy Felton's guns. The complaint says Felton was not going to sell the guns and they instead took them.
According to the complaint, text messages on the boy's phone on March 15 read:
- 3/15/2023 3:31 p.m. - Defendant: "I'm gonna do it to Brandan"
- 3/15/2023 9:20 p.m. - Defendant: "Or should I kill him rm" (Sends follow-up text of "Rn" [right now])
- 3/15/2023 9:26 p.m. - Defendant: "Cuz I can belt him rn"
- 3/15/2023 9:27 p.m. - Defendant: "Cuz I can belt him blood"
- 3/15/2023 9:35 p.m. - Defendant: "I'm belting him don't got time for dude going after my family"
The boy appeared in court Monday where his cash bond was set at $100,000. He will return for a preliminary hearing on April 4. If convicted, he faces a maximum of life in prison.
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