Mom arrested after son shoots brother

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - The mother of a 6-year-old shot dead by his 11-year-old brother has been arrested, Morgan County officials say.

Amanda Vandagrifft, 28, and her boyfriend, Matthew Boulden, 30, were both arrested. Both face multiple charges of neglect of a dependant after the shooting happened while the children were home unsupervised.

“She had a duty to protect her kids,” Morgan County Prosecutor Steve Sonnega said of Vandagrifft. “She had knowledge of the dangers of the situation, and she allowed her children to be in the situation. ”

Andrew Frye, 6, was fatally shot on June 30 . The incident happened southwest of Martinsville, near Liberty Church Road and Ind. 37. The boy’s 11-year-old stepbrother has been charged with murder, but won’t be tried as an adult.

Sonnega said the trouble behind the walls of the Martinsville home date back to October. According to court documents, the 11-year-old held knives to his siblings' throats, threatening to kill them if they didn't do what they were told. The report also said just the week before he had loaded a long rifle and used it to threaten the younger kids, showing them the bullets were in the chambers.

According to court documents, the lead detective in the case said the 11-year-old intially told police the 6-year-old shot himself and had earlier said he would kill himself. Upon further questioning with his parents present, however, the boy told police he had been threatening Andrew with the gun after Andrew refused to clean their room, and shot him in the head. He told police he didn't know the gun was loaded.

The boy told police he then returned the gun to his mother's room, where it was kept, and called 911 to report the shooting

Court documents also report Vandagrifft was aware of past violence done by the 11-year-old to family members, as well as students at his school.

The lead investigator on the case, Dan Downing, did elaborate on the incident at the child’s school, but did say staff handled the situation appropriately.

Vandagrifft could face up to 40 years in prison. She faces one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Class A felony, and three counts of neglect of a dependent, a Class D felony. She was being held Wednesday at the Morgan County Jail on $41,500 bond. Boulden, who faces three counts of neglect of a dependant, a Class D felony, was being held Wednesday at the Morgan County Jail on $8,500 bond.

The judge initially assigned to the case, Jane Craney, recused herself because she knows Vandagrifft's mother, a secretary for the Morgan County commissioners. A new judge will be assigned to the case

Hearings are set at 1 p.m. Sept. 26, 1:30 p.m. Nov. 7 and 8:30 a.m. Nov. 30, but are subject to change.