Virginia 13-Year-old Confesses To Suffocating 4-Year-Old Sibling, Police Say

A 13-year-old child in southern Virginia is charged with murdering a four-year-old sibling by suffocation.

Authorities in Danville are releasing few details because of the ages of the suspect and victim. Not even their genders are being revealed.

But a Facebook post by the Danville Police Department Friday morning said police began an investigation last August. The Danville Register and Bee pinpointed the initial report to Wednesday, August 3.

The 4-year-old reportedly was found inside a home in the city, lacking a pulse and not breathing. The preschooler was taken to two medical facilities before dying.

The Facebook post added that the teenager confessed to the killing last week in “another jurisdiction.” That individual now is in a Danville juvenile detention center, awaiting trial for first-degree murder.

Virginia has a “shield law” preventing the disclosure of juvenile names in such cases.

The police Facebook post generated more than 100 comments over the weekend. Several of them wondered about the parents of the children, who are not mentioned in the post.