9-1-1 call released: Springfield boy beaten, stabbed; brother charged

A 14-year-old Springfield boy, Harley Starling, found dead in his bedroom early Monday by his grandmother, was beaten with a baseball bat and stabbed, according to court records.

The teen’s brother, Nicholas Starling, 16, is charged in the death.

KEY FACTS:

  • Harley Starling, 14, stabbed, beaten
  • Nicholas Starling, 16, arrested for murder, tampering with evidence
  • Motive for killing not released
  • Boys lived with their grandmother
  • 9-1-1 caller assumes death was suicide

UPDATE @2:50 p.m. 11/2/2016:

Springfield police released the 9-1-1 made early Monday morning by the grandmother of 14-year-old Harley Starling, who she found dead in his bedroom inside their Superior Ave. home.

Harley lived with his grandmother and older brother Nicholas Starling, 16, who has been charged with killing his brother.

In the time of the 9-1-1 call, the grandmother told dispatchers she was standing in her deceased grandson’s bedroom with his brother. She assumed the boy had committed suicide sometime overnight.

Here is a partial transcript of the more than 7-minute-long 9-1-1 call.

Caller:

(Grandmother of 14-year-old Harley Starling)

My grandson evidently killed himself last night, he’s cold, he’s cold you can’t move him. I tried shaking him and waking him up.

Dispatcher:

Do you know what happened?

Caller:

No I don’t. I don’t know if he was playing with that fake blood stuff, his head is back, his eyes are open.

Dispatcher:

Why don’t you go outside and wait for the medics to arrive.

Caller:

My other grandson is here, he’s standing here, we don’t even understand why. I don’t know if he was playing with fake blood or what, it’s all over his arm and up around his shoulder. His eyes are open too.

I shook him because I was trying to wake him up. He had the blanket up over his face.

Caller to older brother:

Go in the other room, don’t come in here and stare at him.

Caller to dispatcher:

He’s always playing jokes and things so we thought he was just joking.

Dispatcher:

How old is he?

Caller:

He’s 14. His dad just died two years ago.

Dispatcher:

Are there any guns in the house that you know of?

Caller:

Yes but he can’t get to them.

They live with me, they’ve lived with me since their dad died.

Dispatcher:

Did you hear anything weird last night?

Caller:

No, we just went to bed and that was it.

Dispatcher:

What room is he in?

Caller:

He’s in his bedroom…I don’t know when he did it. (crying)

I’m standing in the living room with his brother.

Dispatcher:

How old is his brother?

Caller:

He’s 16, his name is Nicholas.

Dispatcher:

Try to keep everybody calm, I know it’s going to be hard, this is confusing and scary.

Caller:

I don’t know why…I’m trying to keep calm.

Dispatcher:

You are doing a good job (keeping calm) being there for his brother.

Try to keep everybody away from the room.

Caller:

I know he was having problems at school. (crying)

But there was no inkling, he said he wouldn’t do anything like this.

I know he was playing with that fake blood last night and I don’t know if he drank it or what, or was he playing with it and put it on his body?

Dispatcher:

You don’t have to try and figure that out, they’ll do that.

UPDATE @ 1:35 p.m. 11/2/2016:

Harley Starling, the 14-year-old Springfield boy found killed in his bed, was beaten with a baseball bat and stabbed with a knife, according to juvenile court records.

Harley’s older brother, Nicholas Starling, 16, has been arrested in connection with the teen’s death.

Prosecutors described the death in documents filed with the court seeking to try the suspect as an adult.

Nicholas Starling reportedly hid both weapons after the alleged attack, prosecutors said in the court documents.

FIRST POST 11/1/2016

The 16-year-old Springfield boy charged in the death of his younger brother could be tried as an adult in the case.

The Clark County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday morning filed a notice of intent to move Nicholas Starling’s charges to an adult court, Assistant Prosecutor Dan Driscoll said.

>>RELATED: Springfield teen charged in death of 14-year-old brother

Springfield police arrested Nicholas Starling on delinquent, or juvenile, charges of murder and tampering with evidence on Monday night, hours after 14-year-old Harley Starling was found dead in the Springfield home the boys shared.

It will be up to a juvenile court judge whether or not to bind the charges over to adult court.

Police haven’t released any information in the manner of Harley’s death, saying they don’t want to jeopardize their ongoing investigation.

But hours after their probe into the teen’s death began Monday morning, Capt. Mike Hill said evidence led them to file charges against the boy’s 16-year-old brother.

“We determined this death was a homicide,” Hill said.

The police captain called the case “tragic.”

Friends of Harley Starling are planning a Thursday night vigil for their friend, according to a Facebook post about the event.

Several people on Facebook have shared a “RIP Harley” photo of the teen.

Nicholas Starling first appeared in a Clark County Juvenile Court on Tuesday afternoon, and silently stood shackled at the ankles as a magistrate read him the charges he’s facing.

The 16-year-old is scheduled to be back in court Thursday, according to court records, and have a public defender appointed to represent him.

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