Man charged with 1st-degree murder in killing of 6-year-old nephew in Lynnwood
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The charging documents filed Thursday shed no new light on the alleged motive for the homicide.
Henckel is being held in lieu of $1 million bail in the Snohomish County Jail.
Henckel, whose former attorney and father say suffers from autism spectrum disorder, was taken into custody by police a short time after Dayvid’s body was found. He was not booked into the Snohomish County Jail until 3:30 p.m.
Henckel’s father, Randy, talking to reporters from San Antonio, Texas, said the young man was interrogated by police for hours without a parent or attorney present, despite having obvious developmental disabilities.
Rachel Forde, the Snohomish County public defender who appeared with Henckel at his first appearance in Everett District Court on Wednesday, urged the judge not to hold her client based solely on his statements to police, pointing out that individuals with his disability are easily susceptible to suggestion and authority figures.
Henckel’s family has since retained a private attorney, Forde said Thursday.
The documents indicate that Henckel came under particular scrutiny based on his actions after the boy’s body was found in the dumpster. Rather than showing interest in the sudden activity, they said, Henckel left the area.
“It appeared that police interest in the dumpster was quite obvious, yet Andrew walked away at that precise moment in time,” according to the document.
Randy Henckel told the San Antonio TV station that his son had been staying with Dayvid’s family for about a week when he was asked to baby-sit his nephew. He says he spoke to his son Monday night, and he indicated the boy was missing.
Randy Henckel said his son met Dayvid for the first time during his visit.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman