Kentucky teen faces murder charges in his family slayings

The Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky teenager accused of shooting his uncle and 14-year-old half-brother to death has been charged with murder.

Alexandria police spokesman Lucas Cooper told news outlets 18-year-old Richard Fessler shot his family members and fled on Friday before being captured near a wooded area Saturday. Police briefly placed a school on lockdown as they searched for him.

Cooper identified the victims as 47-year-old Brian Cornelius, Fessler’s uncle by marriage, and an unnamed 14-year-old boy who had the same mother as Fessler.

Cooper said 27-year-old Derek Johnson, Cornelius’ son-in-law, was also found suffering from gunshot wounds on a street. News outlets report he’s expected to survive.

Fessler faces two counts of murder and an attempted murder charge. He’s in jail on a $1 million bond.