Juvenile Arrested for Murder Following the Shooting Death of his Father in Humboldt County

Humboldt County, NV(Released by Humboldt county, Nevada Sheriff’s Office)-On the morning of February 13, 2024 deputies and detectives from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on the 25 Ranch following a 911 call to a neighboring county where a 17-year-old male juvenile stated to the dispatcher he had shot his father. The Lander County Sheriff’s Office initially responded and secured the scene while detaining the juvenile, after which the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office assumed responsibility for the investigation and the custody of the juvenile suspect.

The investigation that followed revealed the juvenile used a rifle to shoot his father, identified as 64-year-old William Berch, multiple times while he was seated at his desk in the office area of the home. Berch was pronounced dead when law enforcement arrived on scene. Berch was unarmed at the time he was killed and there was no evidence of a physical altercation prior to the shooting. The deceased was transported to the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy and forensic processing.

The juvenile was booked into the Humboldt County Detention Center on charges of Murder, First Degree and Domestic Battery with the Use of a Deadly Weapon and is currently being held without bail.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Lander County Sheriff’s Office and the Nevada State Police Investigation Division – Winnemucca Office for their assistance during this investigation.

Captain Sean Wilkin

(775) 623-6419

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