A 14-year-old boy charged with the murder of a 6-year-old girl says he was forced to do it by "a mysterious man."

In the murder of a six-year-old girl in northern Indiana, a 14-year-old boy has been arrested. The unidentified boy strangled the young girl to death and said that he was being manipulated by a “shadowy man” who told him to kill her. He has been charged with child molestation and the murder of Grace Ross, a young girl. On March 12, the girl was declared missing in New Carlisle. Her body was later discovered near Chapman Drive in a wooded forest. According to the Associated Press, Grace’s death was caused by suicide by asphyxiation, according to an autopsy.

The child was taken into custody by the County Metro Homicide Unit the same day. The boy’s mother came forward to the police after the body was discovered, according to the Southbend Tribune. The boy was interrogated by the cops, who said Grace had followed him into the woods. He then went off on a tangent and lost track of her. He went on to say that he was being controlled by a “shadowy man” who had forced him to strangle the little girl. He admitted that he also tested to see if Grace was still alive by feeling her pulse. Grace’s soul or spirit was believed to have left her body, according to him. During the interrogation, his mother was there.

The boy clarified that after killing Grace, he ran home from the woods. He is said to have changed out of his filthy clothes before showering. He changed his clothes and hid them behind the bathroom door. Blood was smeared on his face. After that, the boy was taken to the Juvenile Justice Center, where he was kept. The boy’s interview and his mother’s testimony were used as evidence in the case. Two counts of murder and one count of child molestation have been filed against the teen. Before the incident, it’s unclear if the kids knew each other.

Wendell Chitwood, a friend, told ABC57, “It’s crazy what the parents must be going through.” “Both – parents of both the victim and the perpetrator of the heinous crime.” As another neighbor put it, “I’m sure what he did was heinous and heinous. At that age, I suppose I’m hoping for recovery.” The boy is awaiting the outcome of his clinical assessment. This will be considered as well until a decision is made about whether or not he will be charged as an adult. Because of this, the hearing has been rescheduled for May 13th.

BREAKING: In the murder of New Carlisle six-year-old Grace Ross, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s office says it’s now appropriate to release more information in the case. Be warned, the details are disturbing, and tough to digest. https://t.co/G2aM64Kh7t
— WNDU (@WNDU) April 23, 2021

Because of the high-profile aspect of the killing, the boy’s lawyers initially demanded that the case be kept under wraps. They were concerned that it would trigger “prejudice” in their client’s case. According to St. Joseph County Probate Court Magistrate Graham Polando, Indiana law clearly states that whether the crime would be murder or a felony if committed by an adult, juvenile court proceedings will be made public. He went on to say that no legislation will prevent the facts of this case from being made public. The prosecutor’s office said in a statement after the documents were published, “We believe that the public’s interest in details about the basis for this ongoing matter supports our publication of this specific document in this case.”