Richardson Indicted on First Degree Murder Charges

The Harford County State's Attorney's office announced Tuesday that a grand jury has indicted , 16, with first degree murder in the shooting death of his father, Robert Richardson Jr. 

The younger Richardson was also indicted by a grand jury for second degree murder and use of handgun in a violent crime. He will be tried as an adult on charges that he shot his father in January. 

The prosecutor's office released the following details:

"Robert C. Richardson, 16 years old, was indicted by the Harford County Grand Jury for First Degree Murder, Second Degree Murder and Use of a Handgun in a Crime of Violence in the death of his father, Robert Richardson, Jr. The case was presented to the Grand Jury on 14 February 2012.

The younger Richardson was arrested on [10] January 2012 and has been held in the Harford County Detention Center.

'A lot of speculation about a motive has surrounded this case from the outset,' said Harford County State’s Attorney Joseph Cassilly, 'which was thoroughly investigated by Sheriff’s detectives and the State’s Attorney’s investigator and their findings were presented to the Grand Jury that made the decision to indict.'

Under Maryland law a sixteen year old who is charged with first degree murder is tried as an adult and cannot be returned to juvenile court. The indictment means that the case will proceed with Richardson being tried as an adult in the Circuit Court. He will continue to be held without bond.

of Richardson III's father, Robert Richardson Jr., at the family home in the 800 block of Moores Mill Road in Bel Air.

The teen allegedly admitted to shooting and killing his father then dumping the body in Aberdeen, a police spokesman told Patch not the day of teen's arrest.

of the young man have alleged the younger Richardson experienced abuse at the hands of his father and those circumstances lead to the fatal events of last month.