Antares
June 22nd, 2010, 06:08 PM
Spring Hill, Florida -- Sheriff's deputies arrested Stanley Eckard on Monday night, after they say he confessed to strangling his brother Sean during a fight.
Stanley went before a judge Tuesday morning at the Hernando County Jail; he was ordered held with no bond on murder charges, so he will wait in jail until his trial.
Photos: Man finds body of his son buried in yard
Detectives say Stanley Eckard told them he was choking his brother during a fight. When the two of them fell to the floor, Sean died.
Stanley says he checked his brother's pulse, then he decided he'd bury his brother's body. He told investigators he planned to move the body in a few weeks, when his parents were out of town.
A second-degree murder charge was recommended by detectives, who noted specifically in their report that the death did not seem to be premeditated. However, Judge Kurt Hitzemann said he felt there was probable cause to hold Eckard on the more serious charge of first degree murder.
Prosecutors with the State Attorney's Office will determine and file the exact charge -- and declare whether they will seek the death penalty -- later in the criminal process.
"This is just a bizarre case," said Sheriff Richard Nugent at a press conference in Hernando County on Monday.
On Monday afternoon, a man was digging in his yard at his home on Peoria Street in Spring Hill when he found the body of his son.
The background of this bizarre tragedy started over the weekend. It was 3 a.m. Saturday, when deputies say the mother of Stanley Eckard, 21, saw him digging in a side yard of the house. When she asked him what he was doing, he told her he was just burying some belongings of an old girlfriend.
Deputies say Stanley's sister urged her father to dig up what Stanley buried.
"The father uncovered the arms and legs of his son, and collapsed," said Sheriff Nugent.
The body turned out to be the youngest son in the family: Sean Eckard, 20.
Barely in their twenties, both Stanley and Sean were known around the neighborhood. Some say Sheriff's deputies visited the house in the past because the brothers liked to party.
"Boys were boys, you know. Teenagers and young adults sometimes do things that years down the road they wished they hadn't," said neighbor Vera Dugray.
Despite the gruesome discovery, the Dugrays say they're not that surprised. "We just kind of figured at some point, something would happen down there."
Parents themselves, the Dugrays say their hearts go out to the Eckards.
"The parents lost both of their children. One is dead and the other will probably spend the rest of his life in prison. So, they literally lost both children today," said Dugray.
As for Stanley Eckard, he was taken into custody for questioning. At about 10:30 p.m. Monday, he was charged with the murder of his brother and booked into the Hernando County Jail.
http://www.wtsp.com/news/mostpop/story.aspx?storyid=134608&provider=top
Stanley went before a judge Tuesday morning at the Hernando County Jail; he was ordered held with no bond on murder charges, so he will wait in jail until his trial.
Photos: Man finds body of his son buried in yard
Detectives say Stanley Eckard told them he was choking his brother during a fight. When the two of them fell to the floor, Sean died.
Stanley says he checked his brother's pulse, then he decided he'd bury his brother's body. He told investigators he planned to move the body in a few weeks, when his parents were out of town.
A second-degree murder charge was recommended by detectives, who noted specifically in their report that the death did not seem to be premeditated. However, Judge Kurt Hitzemann said he felt there was probable cause to hold Eckard on the more serious charge of first degree murder.
Prosecutors with the State Attorney's Office will determine and file the exact charge -- and declare whether they will seek the death penalty -- later in the criminal process.
"This is just a bizarre case," said Sheriff Richard Nugent at a press conference in Hernando County on Monday.
On Monday afternoon, a man was digging in his yard at his home on Peoria Street in Spring Hill when he found the body of his son.
The background of this bizarre tragedy started over the weekend. It was 3 a.m. Saturday, when deputies say the mother of Stanley Eckard, 21, saw him digging in a side yard of the house. When she asked him what he was doing, he told her he was just burying some belongings of an old girlfriend.
Deputies say Stanley's sister urged her father to dig up what Stanley buried.
"The father uncovered the arms and legs of his son, and collapsed," said Sheriff Nugent.
The body turned out to be the youngest son in the family: Sean Eckard, 20.
Barely in their twenties, both Stanley and Sean were known around the neighborhood. Some say Sheriff's deputies visited the house in the past because the brothers liked to party.
"Boys were boys, you know. Teenagers and young adults sometimes do things that years down the road they wished they hadn't," said neighbor Vera Dugray.
Despite the gruesome discovery, the Dugrays say they're not that surprised. "We just kind of figured at some point, something would happen down there."
Parents themselves, the Dugrays say their hearts go out to the Eckards.
"The parents lost both of their children. One is dead and the other will probably spend the rest of his life in prison. So, they literally lost both children today," said Dugray.
As for Stanley Eckard, he was taken into custody for questioning. At about 10:30 p.m. Monday, he was charged with the murder of his brother and booked into the Hernando County Jail.
http://www.wtsp.com/news/mostpop/story.aspx?storyid=134608&provider=top