Dad arrested in shooting death of 8-year-old daughter (Pueblo County, Colorado)

As this item is a month old, it's not exactly timely. But somehow I didn't see this in mid-April. Maybe I was too stressed about my income taxes.

Anyway, this is a horrible case. Dad JOHN WESLEY FRENCH, JR. more or less admitted that he shot his 8-year-old daughter in the head, and it appeared that by the time authorities found her body in his trailer, that she had been there "for some time."

After shooting the kid, it seems Daddy shot himself, but didn't manage to kill himself. Rigght. He was trying to stop smoking pot, and was soooooo depressed. So naturally he murders an innocent kid. Rigght. 

But then maybe he didn't really kill her, see. Sometimes poor Daddy just didn't "remember what happened to her." Oh right. Alzheimers at 32 years of age. Gotcha.  

Seems Daddy had been alone with the girl "all day" when this incident occurred, and "not arguing" or anything. Grandpa found them after working all day. Does this mean, um, that Daddy was unemployed? Sure sounds like it. 

So I guess we're supposed to believe that Daddy shot himself in the hand by accident? Or was this part of his failed suicide attempt? Color me skeptical, given that you're not usually going to die from a hand wound, all things being equal.

And what about the girl's black eye and other signs of abuse? Hmm. And what about the son that Daddy "never sees." What's that about, hmm?

One of the commenters with the original article claims that the grandfather basically raised  this child. Why? What happened to the mother? Is she deceased? Did she have custody taken away from her by this f***ed up pothead/deadbeat killer daddy. If so, who made that decision and why?

Way too many unanswered questions here.

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/Detectives_Say_8-Year-Old_Pueblo_Girls_Death_is_Suspicious_119591324.html
Updated: 6:29 PM Apr 14, 2011

Dad Arrested In Shooting Death of 8-Year-Old Girl
The father of 8-year-old Desirea French has been arrested and charged with first degree murder after Desirea was found shot in the head Sunday.
Posted: 10:11 AM Apr 14, 2011
Reporter: KKTV News
Email Address: news@kktv.com

The father of 8-year-old Desirea French has been arrested and charged with first degree murder after Desirea was found shot in the head Sunday. Detectives are classifying the case as murder and attempted suicide.

The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office arrested 32-year-old John Wesley French Jr. for allegedly shooting and killing Desirea. Her body was found inside her home at Oakwood Estates Mobile Homes around 7 p.m. Sunday on east Colorado 96. John French Jr. was found in another room, and he had also been shot twice in the back of the head.

The girl's grandfather, John French Sr., is the one who discovered the two after working all day. The arrest affidavit says when detectives arrived, they found Desirea lying on her stomach on the floor of the living room with a single gunshot wound to the head. The room was covered in blood. Detectives say it appeared as if Desirea's body had been there for some time.

The court papers go on to say that when John French Jr. was taken to the hospital for his own gunshot wounds, he was able to speak. He told ER doctors that he had shot himself. During a recorded conversation Pueblo County Deputy Rohrich, French Jr. was heard saying "I can't believe I did this to my daughter." Deputy Rohrich says he became teary eyed as he said it.

The affidavit goes on to say French Jr. went on to tell detectives that he and his daughter were alone in the home that day and were not arguing. When detectives asked him why he would do this, he allegedly told them says he was depressed and did not want to be here anymore. Detectives say he repeatedly told them that something was wrong with him and had thoughts of suicide before but had never attempted it. He also told detectives that he had stopped smoking marijuana a few days ago and that's when he became depressed.

Detectives say French Jr. told them he has two kids, Desirea and a son, who he never sees. When asked if he remembered what happened that day, French Jr. told detectives that he knew Desirea was gone but didn't know what happened to her.

French Jr. was also treated for a gunshot wound to the hand at the hospital. Doctors say the wound had a lot of brown hair and dried blood. Doctors told detectives the wound could be consistent with French Jr. holding someone's hair while shooting.

The autopsy of Desirea shows a close range gunshot wound to the left side of the head. She also had bruises on her left eye and scrapes on her nose.

Investigators say there is no indication that anyone else was in the trailer when the crime occurred.

Desirea was a student at Avondale Elementary, and parents of other students at the school told 11 News there were police officers and grief counselors at the school as they were dropping off their children Monday morning.

The crisis response team is comprised of psychologists and counselors who will assist the students and staff in coping with this tragedy. This team will be available on site at the school throughout the week.

Their neighbor, Tanya Day, has nothing but beautiful memories of her children playing around a community tree with Desirea just outside her home.

"The little girl is just a sweetheart. Always waving always smiling, she loved to ride her bike out here with the kids," Day said.

Day says she remembers the family as good neighbors and can't believe something like this could happen so close.

"The rest of the family, they were nice people to me, they seemed like really decent people...so like I said, it's tragic," Day said.

French Jr. remains hospitalized at Parkview Medical Center Thursday.

Anyone with information about the case are asked to call the sheriff's office at 583-6125, or Pueblo Crime Stoppers at 542-STOP.

Stay with KKTV and KKTV.com as we get more information on this crime.