RENTON, Wash. — A 22-year-old Renton man is just hours away from making his first court appearance, accused of murdering his 11-year-old brother in broad daylight.
This happened near where the family lives on Northeast 8th Place.
His mother believed her younger son could have been saved if neighbors had answered her pleas for help. But she said they didn’t. And she watched her young son’s life taken from him.
“I miss him so much, he’s my boy,” said Shanty Hak, in tears.
In the embrace of her sister and young daughter, she has struggled to cope with a devastating reality. Her youngest son, 11-year-old Murphy Hun died, allegedly at the hands of his brother Bobby, who is twice his age.
“Bobby loved Murphy a lot,” she said. “He will never touch him.”
“Or hurt him,” added Thu Carpenter, his aunt. “Or hurt him,” Shanty agreed.
“Yeah,” said Carpenter, “this is the side of him we did not see coming.”
“We did not,” said Shanty.
She said Bobby seemed agitated Saturday afternoon after a virtual visit with his psychiatrist. He was on medication for his mental illness but still he seemed out of control.
“Some medication doesn’t work on him,” she said.
She tried to get Murphy to help his brother calm down. But instead Bobby went to the kitchen, got a knife and began going after his younger brother.
“That’s the time I started and called Murphy,” she said. “I said ‘Murphy, run out of house.’ He was panicked because he did’nt know what to do.”
She tried to stop Bobby but he pushed past her. When Murphy ran out of the house, she said, Bobby was close behind.
Shanty ran after them.
“I tried to call the neighborhood to help,” she said, her voice breaking. “But nobody came out. Nobody came out and helped.”
She said she hoped someone stronger could have intervened and stopped her older son. Instead, she was helpless.
“By the time I reached to him,” she said, “Murphy already stabbed to death.”
His family has been left shattered.
“Absolutely heartbroken,” said Carpenter. “We are devastated.”
“He only 11-years old,” said Shanty.
“He was her baby,” added Carpenter.
His mother said Murphy was a 6th grade student at McKnight Middle School here in Renton. He was a friendly, respectful boy who never met a stranger.
Now she and her family are preparing to say a very sad goodbye.