Teen charged with murder in 10-year-old's death in clothes dryer

DECATUR, Ala. -- A 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder in the death of a 10-year-old who suffocated in a hot clothes dryer.

The teenager, whose name was not released because of his age, was arrested Thursday in the July 4 death of Clinton Allen Weeks, one of four boys who were unsupervised at Weeks' home in northern Alabama.

Proceedings will be held later to determine if the boy should be tried as an adult.

"The 14-year-old admitted to turning the dryer on, and we have enough information to charge him with murder," said sheriff Greg Bartlett.

When medical help was called July 4, the caller made a reference to a game of hide-and-seek, but the sheriff said he does not know if Weeks got into the dryer as part of a game. He declined to say if the suspect had admitted to holding the door closed.

The sheriff said the dryer temperature soared past 200 degrees in 90 seconds with the 5-foot-4-inch, 70-pound boy trapped inside.