Uploaded March 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Full Length Interrogation of Cristian Fernandez
Christian Fernandez, the 13-year-old Florida boy who is charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the 2011 beating death of his 2-year-old half-brother and the sexual abuse of his 5-year-old half-brother, has had a life marked by violence and neglect.
When he was just two-years-old, Fernandez was found naked and dirty, wandering a South Florida street. The grandmother taking care of him was holed up with cocaine in a motel room, while his 14-year-old mother was nowhere to be found.
His very conception resulted in a sexual assault conviction against his father, and Fernandez' life got worse from there. He was sexually assaulted by a cousin and beaten by his stepfather, who committed suicide before police investigating the beating arrived.
The boy learned to squelch his feelings, once telling a counselor: "You got to suck up feelings and get over it."
Now 13, Fernandez is accused of murder and sexual abuse. He's been charged as an adult and is the youngest inmate awaiting trial in Duval County.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Fernandez could face a life sentence, but there are complications. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this summer that it is unconstitutional for juvenile offenders to get mandatory life sentences without parole. Because of that, Fernandez' defense attorneys said they can't advise their client what kind of sentence he could face. Another complication involves whether Fernandez understood his rights during police interrogations.
CBS
cbsnews.com/news/cristian-fernandez-13-year-old-fla-boy-faces-life-in-prison-for-allegedly-murdering-his-2-year-old-half-brother
Full Length Interrogation of Cristian Fernandez
Christian Fernandez, the 13-year-old Florida boy who is charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the 2011 beating death of his 2-year-old half-brother and the sexual abuse of his 5-year-old half-brother, has had a life marked by violence and neglect.
When he was just two-years-old, Fernandez was found naked and dirty, wandering a South Florida street. The grandmother taking care of him was holed up with cocaine in a motel room, while his 14-year-old mother was nowhere to be found.
His very conception resulted in a sexual assault conviction against his father, and Fernandez' life got worse from there. He was sexually assaulted by a cousin and beaten by his stepfather, who committed suicide before police investigating the beating arrived.
The boy learned to squelch his feelings, once telling a counselor: "You got to suck up feelings and get over it."
Now 13, Fernandez is accused of murder and sexual abuse. He's been charged as an adult and is the youngest inmate awaiting trial in Duval County.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Fernandez could face a life sentence, but there are complications. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this summer that it is unconstitutional for juvenile offenders to get mandatory life sentences without parole. Because of that, Fernandez' defense attorneys said they can't advise their client what kind of sentence he could face. Another complication involves whether Fernandez understood his rights during police interrogations.
CBS
cbsnews.com/news/cristian-fernandez-13-year-old-fla-boy-faces-life-in-prison-for-allegedly-murdering-his-2-year-old-half-brother
