Latest news with #EricSweeney
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Teen killer finally confesses to murdering sister-in-law and nephews, 1 and 4, after leaving chilling letter
A New Hampshire teen confessed to murdering his sister-in-law and two young nephews weeks after penning a chilling letter that read, 'I do not belong in this family'. Eric Sweeney, 19, fatally shot Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her sons, Benjamin, four, and Mason, one, while living at their Northfield home. He shot his victims execution style with a bullet to the head using his older brother's gun. Sweeney initially faced first-degree murder charges and was scheduled to go on trial in September, however accepted a plea deal, admitting guilt to three counts of second-degree murder and one count of falsifying physical evidence. In June 2022, just two months before the brutal killings, Sweeney took the family's truck and left behind a harrowing note. 'I do not belong in this family. All I do is steal and lie and be irresponsible,' the note read in part, ending with, 'I love you big bro and sis bye.' Prosecutors cited the message as an early indication of emotional instability and growing conflict in the home. Kassandra and her husband, Sean Sweeney, were acting as Eric's guardians and struggled to manage his behavioral issues, which included lying, stealing, and breaking household rules, Assistant Attorney General Bethany Durand said during the Friday hearing. Police were called to the home twice, once after the stolen truck incident, and again less than two weeks before the fatal shootings, when the couple reported that Sweeney was making 'strange statements'. 'The situation had deteriorated to the extent that Sean installed a lock on the door of the master bedroom in order to keep the defendant out of that room,' Durand told Merrimack County Superior Court. On the morning of the killings, prosecutors said Kassandra had been recording and sending video clips to her husband of the boys playing and laughing, but just moments later, she and the children were dead. In one clip, the toddler giggles as a family dog plays with the tail of his brother's dinosaur costume. In another, both children wave at a groundhog outside the window, saying 'Hi, Dada' to the camera. 'The family was having a normal morning, with the boys playing and laughing with Kassandra while helping her to create video clips to send to their dad,' Durand said. 'There was no indication of any unknown person, intruder or danger inside of their home.' Family members sat quietly during the hearing, some wiping away tears (pictured), neither they nor attorneys for either side gave statements after court adjourned Sweeney initially told police he had been in his basement bedroom when he heard something break upstairs, followed by a man yelling and several loud 'pops'. He claimed he went upstairs and discovered the victims on the floor, took Kassandra's phone and car keys, and left the house. He later called his brother, who contacted law enforcement, NBC10 reported. Kassandra and Mason were found in the dining room, while Benjamin was discovered in the kitchen, each had been shot once in the head. Prosecutors said Sweeney used his brother's handgun, which had been kept in a locked safe under the couple's bed. Family members sat quietly, some seen wiping away tears during the emotional hearing Friday. Sweeney will be sentenced on October 3 where he faces 35 years to life in prison for each second-degree murder charge.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
New Hampshire man accused of fatally shooting his sister-in-law and nephews pleads guilty
A New Hampshire man accused of killing his sister-in-law and two young nephews when he was 16 pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges Friday after prosecutors described a playful morning turned tragic. Eric Sweeney, now 19, had been living with his older brother's family in Northfield for three years when prosecutors say he fatally shot Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her sons, 4-year-old Benjamin and 1-year-old Mason, in August 2022. He was scheduled to go on trial on first-degree murder charges next month but instead pleaded guilty to the lesser charges in Merrimack County Superior Court, speaking only to briefly confirm his understanding of the proceedings. First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence without parole. Second-degree murder is punishable by up to life in prison. Sweeney, whose lawyers had considered raising an insanity defense, will be sentenced on Oct. 3. According to prosecutors, Sweeney's older brother, Sean, and his wife were serving as the teen's guardians when Sweeney's 'increasing behavioral issues' including lying and violating house rules began causing tensions in the home. The couple called police twice: once when Sweeney took their truck without permission and again less than two weeks before the shootings to say he was making 'strange statements,' Assistant Attorney General Bethany Durand said at Friday's hearing. 'The situation had deteriorated the the extent that Sean installed a lock on the door of the master bedroom in order to keep the defendant out of that room,' Durand said. She described videos Kassandra Sweeney recorded and sent to her husband less than 10 minutes before they were killed: the toddler laughing as one of the family dogs nipped at the tail of his older brother's dinosaur costume, both boys looking out the window at a groundhog and saying 'Hi, Dada' to the camera. 'The family was having a normal morning, with the boys playing and laughing with Kassandra while helping her to create video clips to send to their dad,' Durand said. 'There was no indication of any unknown person, intruder or danger inside of their home.' When he was taken into custody, Sweeney told police he had been in his room in the basement when he heard something break upstairs, a man with a deep voice yelling and multiple 'pops,' according to court documents. He said he went upstairs and found his sister-in-law and nephews on the floor bleeding and then took Kassandra's cellphone and keys and drove away. He then called his brother, who called police. Investigators found Kassandra and Mason in the dining room and Benjamin in the kitchen, Durand said. All three had been shot once in the head, Benjamin through the hood of his dinosaur costume. The prosecutor said Sweeney used his brother's handgun, which was kept in a locked safe under the couple's bed. Family members, some of whom wiped away tears during the hearing, declined to comment afterward, as did lawyers for both sides. According to court documents, Sweeney left the couple a note when he took their truck in June 2022. 'I do not belong in this family All I do is steal and lie and be irresponsible,' it read in part, closing with, 'I love you big bro and sis bye.'
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Washington Post
New Hampshire man accused of fatally shooting his sister-in-law and nephews to plead guilty
CONCORD, N.H. — A New Hampshire man accused of killing his sister-in-law and two young nephews when he was 16 is set to plead guilty to second-degree murder charges Friday. Eric Sweeney, now 19, had been living with his older brother's family in Northfield when prosecutors say he fatally shot Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her sons, 4-year-old Benjamin and 1-year-old Mason, in August 2022.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Associated Press
New Hampshire man accused of fatally shooting his sister-in-law and nephews to plead guilty
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire man accused of killing his sister-in-law and two young nephews when he was 16 is set to plead guilty to second-degree murder charges Friday. Eric Sweeney, now 19, had been living with his older brother's family in Northfield when prosecutors say he fatally shot Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her sons, 4-year-old Benjamin and 1-year-old Mason, in August 2022. He was scheduled to go on trial on first-degree murder charges next month but instead will plead guilty to the lesser charges during a hearing in Merrimack County Superior Court. Sweeney, whose lawyers had considered raising an insanity defense, faces up to life in prison when sentenced at a later date. According to prosecutors, Sweeney's older brother, Sean, and his wife were serving as the teen's guardians when Sweeney's 'increasing behavioral issues' began causing tensions in the home. In court documents, they say Sweeney was lying to the couple and violating house rules, prompting them to call the police to talk to him. About two months before the fatal shootings, he left the couple a note that read in part, 'I do not belong in this family All I do is steal and lie and be irresponsible,' and closed with 'I love you big bro and sis bye.' When he was taken into custody, Sweeney told police he had been in his room in the basement when he heard something break upstairs, a man with a deep voice yelling and multiple 'pops,' according to court documents. He said he went upstairs and found his sister-in-law and nephews on the floor bleeding and then took Kassandra's cellphone and keys and drove away. He then called his brother, who called police. Prosecutors had planned to show jurors video clips Kassandra Sweeney recorded on her phone showing her sons 'engaging in playful behavior' the morning of the shooting, including one created just 10 minutes before Eric Sweeney left the house. 'In all three videos, the victims are exhibiting no distress or other visible or audible signs that would suggest that an unknown or unwelcome third-party was present in the house with them,' prosecutors said in a court filing last month.
