Who was the youngest murderer in Kentucky?

In 1929, a six-year-old boy named Carl Newton Mahan became the youngest known murderer after shooting an eight-year-old.

What caused the fatal argument between Carl Mahan and Cecil Van Hoose?

The fatal argument between the two boys in 1929 was over a piece of scrap metal.

What was the legal outcome for the child murderer in the 1929 Kentucky case?

A judge overturned the child's manslaughter conviction, preventing him from being sent to reform school.

Home / Crime and Justice / Kentucky: 6-Year-Old Becomes World's Youngest Murderer

Kentucky: 6-Year-Old Becomes World's Youngest Murderer

14 Dec, 2025

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Summary

A six-year-old boy became the world's youngest known murderer.
The fatal shooting occurred in 1929 over a piece of scrap metal.
A judge later overturned the child's manslaughter conviction.

Kentucky: 6-Year-Old Becomes World's Youngest Murderer

In May 1929, Paintsville, Kentucky, witnessed a tragedy when six-year-old Carl Newton Mahan shot and killed eight-year-old Cecil Van Hoose during a dispute over scrap metal. This incident led to Carl becoming the youngest known murderer in history, a case that would divide the nation.

Carl's trial, held less than a week after the shooting, revealed the details of the fatal altercation. After a jury deliberated for only half an hour, they returned a manslaughter verdict. The judge sentenced the child to 15 years in reform school, though he was released on bail.

Ultimately, a senior Circuit Court judge intervened, quashing the conviction and ruling that the county judge had overstepped his authority by allowing a criminal jury trial for a juvenile. The Attorney General took no further action, allowing Carl to remain with his parents, leaving a divided public to ponder the complexities of child culpability.