Curtis M. Lopez, suspect in killing of Md. woman Jane McQuain, to be charged in son's slaying
(CBS/AP) Rockville, Md. - Prosecutors say they will charge the man accused of killing Maryland mom Jane McQuain with the killing of her son as well.
Prosecutors said Thursday they plan to charge the McQuain's estranged husband Curtis M. Lopez in the death of his stepson William McQuain. The 11-year-old boy, who prosecutors say was beaten in the head with a baseball bat, was found on Oct. 18 following a massive manhunt by police officers and volunteers.
Police have already charged Lopez with first-degree murder in the death of McQuain.
Lopez was ordered held without bond Thursday in McQuain's death after a prosecutor described the attacks as ghastly and violent against "two innocent, unarmed people." Lopez was arrested last month at a Charlotte, N.C., hotel, where authorities say he had fled with McQuain's car. He was returned to Maryland this week to face charges.
Jane McQuain, 51, was found dead in the bedroom of the apartment she shared with her son in Germantown, about 30 miles northwest of Washington, on the night of Oct. 12. The pair had not been seen at school or work since Sept. 30, and an Amber Alert was issued after police found McQuain's body, but not William.
McQuain was attacked with a 30-pound weight found in the apartment. She was also stabbed through the blankets of her bed, said Deputy State's Attorney John Maloney. Authorities believe she was killed while asleep.
On the morning of Oct. 1, Lopez picked up William from a friend's home where he had spent the night, prosecutors said. Video footage recorded that morning shows Lopez and William going in and out of a storage facility and also at a gas station in nearby Clarksburg - about 100 yards from where the boy's body, his skull crushed in multiple places, Maloney said. The clothing William is seen wearing in the video appears to match what was found on his body when police discovered him, authorities have said.
Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy has not ruled out seeking the death penalty in the case, though he said it's not clear if the crime meets the state's stringent requirements for capital punishment.
Lopez's public defender, Alan Drew, said the case against his client seemed thin.
"What we have is essentially circumstantial evidence," he said. "We have no evidence whatsoever that links Mr. Lopez to this case."