Suspect in 4-year-old Cash Gernon’s horrific stabbing death charged with capital murder, could face death penalty

Darriynn Brown, the 18-year-old suspect in the violent killing of 4-year-old Cash Gernon, has been charged with capital murder and could face the Texas death penalty, according to the Dallas Morning News.

What's a brief history here?

The young child was discovered in the middle of a Dallas road in May, having been stabbed to death just hours after being kidnapped from the bed he shared with his twin brother.

The kidnapping was caught on camera, and despite clear similarities between Brown and the suspect captured on video, Brown has said that he is not the person in the video.

Brown was previously facing kidnapping and theft charges after he reportedly attempted to kidnap a 2-year-old girl in February.

Brown faces a minimum sentence of life in prison and could receive the death penalty if found guilty on the capital murder charge in connection with the child's death.

What are the details?

A spokesperson for the Dallas Police Department said that new evidence links Brown to the child's murder and the time of his death.

"Evidence submitted to the lab has been returned linking Darriynn Brown to Cash Gernon at the time of his death," the statement noted. "Therefore he is also being charged with Capital Murder."

On Wednesday, Brown attorney Heath Harris said that he is still trying to gain access to evidence to make a case for his client.

"It's almost a month after this tragedy and I'm still waiting to prepare this kid's defense," Harris said. "We can't do that till we have all the evidence."

He added, "This is not an open and shut case. Even if you believe that's [Brown] on the video, it doesn't mean he killed the kid. The world is basically prejudicing this whole community by saying, 'That's him.'"

Harris has also insisted that Brown may suffer from schizophrenia and is waiting for a physician to place him under a mental health evaluation to see if he's competent to assist in his own defense.

During a community meeting in May, Lt. Carrie Wise said, "There is no doubt who took [Cash], and as soon as I get the lab report back, there will be no doubt who killed him."

Brown remains in the Dallas County Jail with bail set at $1.625 million. In addition to the capital murder charge, Brown faces charges of burglary and kidnapping related to the child's abduction, as well as counts of burglary and injury to an elderly person stemming from a February incident, the outlet noted.

You can read more on the background of the case here.

Attorney claims man accused of killing Dallas 4-year-old Cash Gernon, is schizophrenicwww.youtube.com