Boy, 8, to face murder charges as father is mourned - CNN.com

An 8-year-old boy is scheduled to appear in court Monday in St. Johns, Arizona, on charges he murdered his father and another man.

Vincent Romero and Tim Romans were found dead last week in Romero's home in St. Johns, Arizona.

More than 600 mourners attended services for the father, Vincent Romero, 29, Monday morning, CNN affiliate KPHO-TV reported.

Tim Romans, 39, also was found dead Wednesday afternoon in Romero's home, where he rented a room, KPHO said.

Police said Thursday that the boy had confessed to shooting the two men with a .22-caliber weapon. No motive was given.

"We solved the crime," St. Johns Police Chief Roy Melnick told KPHO. "Now we have to solve the mystery of why."

A judge issued a gag order Monday, preventing police, prosecutors or defense attorneys from talking any further about the case.

A status hearing was scheduled for 3 p.m.

Ron Wood, one of the boy's public defenders, said before the gag order was issued that the defense is treating the boy's case "like any other first-degree murder case."

The boy's other attorney, Ben Brewer, told KPHO he questions whether police acted properly in their interviews with the boy.

"It's evident that he's shaken up, and he's scared," Brewer said. "He was yanked out of the comfortable situation, a situation he knew about, and put into a situation that he has no knowledge about. He's hurting.

"He's a scared little kid," Brewer said.

The boy's lawyers said they plan to file a motion to request experts to help with the investigation and will ask for access to the crime scene.

The funeral for Romans is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday in his hometown of San Carlos, Arizona, KPHO said. A wake will be held at 3 p.m. Friday.