A 17-year-old has been arrested on a murder charge in the killing of his father at a Sharon, Massachusetts, home in November, prosecutors said Friday.
Lucas Larson, who's been hospitalized since his father, Brad Larson, was found dead on Nov. 2 at the home on Deerfield Road, appeared in Norfolk Superior Court Friday afternoon and was ordered held without bail at the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital to determine his competence to stand trial in the murder case.
Judge Debra Squires-Lee expressed concerns about Larson's ability to assist in his defense and be aware of the proceedings — a clinical psychologist who evaluated him said the teenager was mostly unresponsive to questions and did not for the most part appear aware of what was asked of him or what was going on.
Attorneys did not discuss facts of the case during the hearing. Larson is due back in court Feb. 22 for another hearing.
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When officials announced Brad Larson's death, they said that a relative found the 62-year-old with obvious injuries and called authorities, and that he was pronounced dead at the scene.
No arrests were made at the time, though Sharon Police Chief Stephen Coffey noted that there was no threat. District Attorney Michael Morrissey and Coffey shared some more details Friday in announcing that Larson was arrested after being indicted Wednesday by a grand jury on the murder charge, but they didn't say what Lucas Larson was hospitalized for or share details on how or why he allegedly killed his father.
"State Police detectives assigned to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office and Sharon Police have been working closely throughout the grand jury investigation that resulted in the indictment issued Wednesday," Morrissey said in a statement.
Coffey noted in a statement that Brad Larson was well-known and a "much respected member of the Sharon community," and said that the department offers "our sincere condolences to Brad Larson's family and the many residents touched by his death."
A vigil was planned for Friday night at Brad Larson's church in Sharon, his sister said. She didn't want to comment on her nephew, but spoke emotionally about her brother.
Larson worked at Boston Children's Museum for a decade as a technology developer, using video to capture individual stories that connected people to one another.
"He advocated for the critical importance of sharing stories and inspired Museum professionals to evolve their thinking around storytelling," Boston Children's Museum President and CEO Carole Charnow said in a statement in November.
More recently, the museum said, Larson was working with the museum and interacted with visitors using an exhibit called StoryKiosk to gather stories about climate change.
"He was a regular presence at museum conferences of all kinds and worked with history museums, children’s museums, science centers and zoos. He was a kind and generous person who loved to connect with people through their unique stories and he focused on how stories could inspire empathy and understanding. We are shocked to learn of this tragedy. Brad will be mourned by the entire Museum field. It is a tremendous loss," the November statement said.
