Boy Likely To Be Tried In Sister’s Death

Brandon Roses’ autumn days have been filled with those things that comprise the life of a 10-year-old: learning about geography and multiplication, rooting for the Mariners, reading the Hardy Boys books.

By all accounts, he has been a model prisoner.

Unless negotiations result in a plea agreement, Brandon will go before a judge Tuesday on charges he intentionally gunned down his 5-year-old sister.

He was 9 when the shooting occurred - the second-youngest Oregon child to be accused with willful murder.

Charolette Roses, the youngest of six children of David and Laurel Roses, was shot to death June 23.

The shooting first was reported as an accident, prompting calls from the public for stronger efforts to keep children away from guns.

After further investigation, Clackamas County sheriff’s investigators decided to prosecute Brandon for the juvenile equivalent of murder, touching off even more controversy.

Witnesses streamed into court, some praising the Roseses for their devotion to family and church, and others condemning the couple as neglectful and Brandon as a defiant, confrontational child who threw rocks at his little brother.

District Attorney John Foote begged for patience.

“I think that this kind of case is disheartening to anyone who loves and cares about kids,” the newly appointed prosecutor said.

“I have faith in our system and I have faith that the right things are going to happen.”

Brandon was with Charolette and 6-year-old Marshall when the shooting occurred in their home 20 miles south of Portland. It was provoked by Charolette’s refusal to go to her room, said William Leverette Jr., Brandon’s caseworker in the state children’s services agency.

Brandon got his father’s rifle, loaded it with cartridges from a footlocker in his older brothers’ room, leveled the weapon at his sister and pulled the trigger, according to authorities who talked to Brandon and his brother Marshall.

The parents said they did not know the older boys had the ammunition, apparently kept as souvenirs from earning their shooting merit badges in Boy Scouts.

Attorneys were hopeful that there would be some kind of agreement that would avoid a trial. Otherwise, Lowe will be asked to decide whether the boy was capable of knowing when he pulled the trigger that his little sister would die.