TACOMA, Wash. — Quick Facts:
- Suspect is 16-year-old Rylan Salzman
- Documents say Salzman hit father with cane, but body in compost box
- Victim identified as Richard Salzman, reported missing on Saturday
- Police say Rylan Salzman confessed to mother, then called 911
Court documents say a 16-year-old boy who called 911 to report murdering his father killed him by hitting him with a cane and then put his body in a compost box.
Police searched the home and yard in the 1900 block of South Madison Street in Tacoma Tuesday after teenager Rylan Salzman called 911 after confessing the crime to his mother, documents said.
Police said Salzman told dispatchers he killed his father and buried him in the yard, but Salzman would not give police specific details about the death or where he put the body.
The teen was taken into custody shortly after.
Officers obtained a search warrant, and a dog specially trained to detect human remains was brought in to help investigators.
Video from Chopper 7 showed officers opening a rectangular box next to the home that was filled with dirt. A crime scene photographer was seen taking photos, and the Pierce County Medical Examiner was called to the scene.
Police later confirmed a body had been found somewhere in the yard.
A missing persons report for the victim, identified as Richard Salzman, was filed Saturday.
In court Wednesday, prosecutors asked to hold Rylan Salzman for 72 hours without bail while deciding whether to charge the teen as an adult. His next court appearance is set for Friday
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