Parents charged in 9-year-old Azuree Charles' death

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) — Four months after 9-year-old Azuree Charles was found dead in New Kensington, his mother and father are facing charges. 

The boy's father, Jean Charles, is facing multiple charges, including first-degree murder, criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse and strangulation, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli announced Wednesday. 

Azuree Charles' mother, Luella Elien, was also arrested on charges of aggravated assault of a victim less than 13, endangering the welfare of children, and hindering apprehension or prosecution of another, Ziccarelli said.

Jean Charles was already in jail. He was arrested earlier this year on child endangerment and assault charges. Sources tell KDKA-TV that Azuree Charles previously told his mom that his dad struck him in the face and beat him with a phone charger.

According to paperwork, Jean Charles was prohibited from having unsupervised contact with his kids after allegedly assaulting his son in November. But court documents said his mother allowed him to watch them all while she went out, including days before Azuree Charles was reported missing.    

The boy's body was found on May 4 covered with a chair behind a shed in a wooded area close to where he lived after he was reported missing. His clothes were found hanging in branches nearby, according to court paperwork.

Neighbors said he had recently beat pediatric cancer and was enjoying a second chance at life. 

"This horrific tragedy has rocked the New Kensington community. It has rocked our office, the New Kensington Police Department and our county as a whole. The trauma that has affected us all, however, pales in comparison to what Azuree no doubt experienced. Please know that the two defendants are in custody and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Ziccarelli said.

Sources believe the boy was killed in his bedroom, where investigators found ketchup splattered on the bed and floor, along with a gas can on the bed. 

According to court paperwork, police say surveillance videos show Jean Charles in the area of the crime. Police found the clothes he was seen wearing and a shovel near Azuree's bike.

A friend of the young boy who lives next door told detectives that he heard Azuree Charles at 2:30 a.m. on May 4 screaming, "No, no, no, I'm sorry."

Neighbors who knew the boy said the system and his family failed him.

"How could a parent kill their child like that? Tamara Jackson said. "He wasn't protected because if he was, this wouldn't have happened."

Preliminary hearings are set for Oct. 12.

Anyone with more information that could help the investigation is asked to call 911 or the New Kensington Police Department at 724-339-7543.