Westmoreland County DA’s office still searching for killer of 9-year-old Azuree Charles

NEW KENSINGTON — The Westmoreland County district attorney’s office is still looking for the person who killed 9-year-old Azuree Charles.

Charles was found dead behind his house in May. The coroner ruled his death a homicide a short time after he was found.

A statement from District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli’s office said that they still have a person of interest in mind. They also said they do not believe the community is in danger.

In the statement, Ziccarelli reminded the public that it takes time to gather evidence and create a solid case. The DA said that she has an 8x10 picture of Charles on her desk.

“His smiling face, red and black checkered shirt, and unlaced boots at school are the first thing I look at each morning and the last thing I look at each evening. Rest assured, we are pursuing justice for Azuree and remain vigilant in the investigation into his death,” said Ziccarelli.

In early May, the DA’s office asked people in Charles’s neighborhood to submit home surveillance footage and any information that could help them with the case.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: DA’s office asking for public’s help in investigation of 9-year-old boy’s death in New Kensington

Charles’s father was arrested a short time after his son’s death on separate assault charges. He was accused of punching his son in the eye, causing bruising in mid-November 2021.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 9-year-old boy found dead in New Kensington identified, father arrested on separate charges

Investigators later told the neighborhood that they had a suspect on their radar.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Investigators seek arrest of person of interest involved in murder of 9-year-old New Kensington boy

Police have not said who the person of interest is.

“This has rocked our community and we are dedicating every resource we have, including a team of detectives from my office, the New Kensington Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police Crime Lab to bring this investigation to a successful conclusion,” said Ziccarelli.

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