Teen charged in shooting death of father ‘felt trapped with no way out,’ records say
A 17-year-old Lakewood boy shot his father in the head and tried to pass it off as a suicide, court records say.
Adrian Kinchen Jr. was charged Friday with first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty at arraignment, and Superior Court Judge James Orlando set bail at $1 million.
His father, who died Thursday, has been identified as 40-year-old Adrian Devaughn Kinchen. He died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Charging papers gave this account of the homicide:
Kinchen Jr. recently moved from Florida to live with his father in the 9600 block of Sales Road SW.
About 4:50 p.m. Thursday, Kinchen Jr. called 911 to report that his father was dead. Police said they were called to a suicide.
When officers arrived at the home, they “noted that the defendant was not crying, nor was he exhibiting any emotions that might be expected from someone who had just found their deceased father,” records say.
Kinchen Jr. told detectives he’d walked to a nearby fast food restaurant and found his father dead when he returned.
After trying several times to reach his mother, he eventually called 911.
The victim had been shot in the side of the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police noticed a television and several other items on the ground, suggesting a struggle.
When he was interviewed by detectives, Kinchen Jr. allegedly admitted to killing his father because “he felt trapped with no way out,” prosecutors wrote in charging papers.
Kinchen Jr. told police earlier that day his father had shoved him, and he spent most of the day thinking about shooting his dad.
When his father sat down to put on a pair of shoes, Kinchen Jr. allegedly stood within six feet of his father and pulled the trigger.
He then hid the 9 mm handgun in a backpack, which police later recovered.
“During the interview the defendant also admitted researching on the internet how to fire a handgun and how to reset the surveillance cameras inside the residence,” according to charging papers. “The defendant additionally admitted that he delayed calling 911 for approximately 30 minutes after shooting his father.”
This story was originally published January 8, 2021 at 12:05 PM.
