 | ||||
|
10-year-old accused of shooting dad to remain in custody
05:47 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 By Mike Zientek / 11 News & Associated Press KATY, Texas -- A 10-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting his father went before a juvenile court judge Monday afternoon.
The judge ordered him to remain in the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center until the next hearing in 10 days. His mother attended the hearing and was distraught to learn her son would remain in custody. "I am very concerned. I love him so very much. He appears to be doing okay," said Deborah Geisler. "He's eating, he's exercising, he's following their rules." The boy is too young to be tried as an adult for the shooting. It will be up to the judge to eventually decide whether the young suspect should remain in juvenile detention until he turns 18. It's possible he would then be tried as an adult for the crime. Rick Lohstroh, 41, was shot to death Friday outside his ex-wife's Katy home as he picked up the boy and his 7-year-old brother for a weekend visit. Police believe the boy shot Lohstroh several times through the back seat of his father's sport utility vehicle. He is being represented by attorney Chris Tritico. "As far as I can tell from the little bit of work I've done, he has no history, no offense conduct in the past," Tritico said. "And he's really been a pretty well-adjusted young man for what he's been through with the divorce and the other things in his life." The victim's parents also attended the hearing to show support for the grandson accused of taking their son's life and his younger brother. "To reach out to them and to love them and to let them know we love them," explained Dick Greene, Lohstroh's father.
"He was very angry with his father," Geisler said in Sunday's editions of the Houston Chronicle. But she said she does not know how he got ahold of her gun, which she said she kept locked and unloaded in her home. Lohstroh's attorney, Kathleen Collins isn't buying that story. "I think there's lots of questions. How did the child get the gun? I don't think the child pulled the trigger by himself," Collins said. The couple's divorce was finalized in May 2003 after a yearlong legal battle. During the divorce proceedings, Geisler filed complaints with two police departments alleging Lohstroh had molested their sons. But Collins said police found no evidence to support the claims. She noted that a judge would not have granted her client joint custody of the children if the accusations had been believable. "This was one of the worst cases I've seen in terms of false allegations," Collins said. "He's a fantastic person. Just would do anything for anybody, a respected doctor." Friends describe Rick Lohstroh as "a fantastic person" and "respected doctor." "I firmly believe that this young man was the victim of sexual and physical abuse and it's something that we're going to be investigating very, very seriously," said Tritico.
"Everybody who knew Rick knew that he had a tough divorce and had trouble with his ex-wife," said Dr. Brian Zachariah, director of UTMB's emergency department. "It was a very contentious divorce. It went on for a long time," Collins agreed. "We had many hearings." Neighbors said the couple's arguments continued after their divorce, especially when Lohstroh came to pick up the children. "It seemed like (the children) never wanted to go with their dad," said Sunee Kramer, Geisler's neighbor. "Dr. Lohstroh loved his children," said Collins. "And he would do a lot for his children."
Unless otherwise indicated, Not Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. |
Deborah Geisler said her son appeared to be doing OK in juvenile custody.
The 10-year-old's mother says he was "very angry" at her ex-husband.
Friends and co-workers said Lohstroh, an emergency room physician at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, was loved and respected, though he often complained about the divorce.
