Alabama boy charged in killing of girl found on rope
ASHVILLE, Ala. — Alabama authorities say a 14-year-old boy is charged with murder in the death of his half-sister who was found hanging from a tree.
St. Clair County Sheriff Terry Surles says the victim, Katelynn Arnold, was 9 years old.
Her body was discovered Thursday night outside her home in Ragland, a rural town about 40 miles northeast of Birmingham.
Surles says the rope was tied in a knot, but was not like a hangman’s noose.
St. Clair County Coroner Dennis Russell said an autopsy found the cause of death was homicide due to ligature strangulation.
Surles says the boy and girl were living with their aunt and uncle as part of a foster home situation.
In this May 10, 2012, photo, Vice President Joe Biden gestures while speaking to students and educators about student loans during a White House Briefing on College Affordability in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus in Washington. After Joe Biden voiced his support for gay marriage ahead of President Barack Obama, there was only one thing for the vice president to do: apologize. Biden did that on Wednesday in the Oval Office. He apologized shortly before Obama sat for a hastily arranged interview in which he told the public he supported gay marriage. Biden had made similar comments on Sunday without permission from the White House. His remarks thrust gay marriage into the political spotlight and focused fresh attention on what Obama has called “evolving” views on gay marriage. Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS