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16-year-old son beat his father, shot him and then left home in Mecosta County, family friend says

The sheriff's office said the teen is no stranger to the justice system. He was a ward of Osceola County Probate Court at the time of the killing.

MECOSTA COUNTY, Mich. — A teen is accused of fatally attacking his father earlier this week in Mecosta County. 

The Mecosta County Sheriff's Office arrested a 16-year-old boy on a felony murder warrant in connection to the death of a 41-year-old man identified as Richard Simko. 

Authorities believe it happened on March 6 in the 5000 block of Truman Road in Fork Township. 

Detectives believe the victim was shot and bludgeoned to death in his home early Wednesday morning. 

The suspect is a ward of the Osceola County Probate Court. The sheriff said the boy spent the last year in an out-of-state custody program for crimes he committed as a juvenile in Osceola County in 2022-2023. 

The boy remains in custody and is awaiting arraignment. 

Those close to the victim described him as, "A nice man and a great father. All he wanted was to take care of his children." 

They said he loved to go fishing. 

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