CONCORD, N.H. — A New Hampshire teenager accused of fatally shooting his sister-in-law and his two young nephews pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder on Friday.
Eric Sweeney, 19, appeared in Merrimack Superior Court in Concord, where he admitted to the killings of his sister-in-law, 25-year-old Kassandra Sweeney, and his nephews, 4-year-old Benjamin Sweeney and 23-month-old Mason Sweeney.
Eric Sweeney was 16 when authorities say he shot and killed his brother’s wife, Kassandra, and her sons on the morning of Aug. 3, 2022, at their home on Wethersfield Drive in Northfield, New Hampshire.
Eric Sweeney was living at his brother’s home at the time of the murders.
In the days before the deaths of Kassandra, Benjamin, and Mason, Kassandra’s husband, Sean Sweeney, told police he was concerned for his family’s safety, according to heavily redacted police documents.
On July 22, 2022, records show Sean Sweeney, just 12 days before his wife and children were killed, told police that he was concerned about a person at his home who was making strange comments. Sean told police that he found a weapon in the garage and more in the woods.
According to the report, a police officer spoke to the unnamed person, later identified as Eric Sweeney, who was calmly sitting at a table. He allegedly said that he would change his behavior.
Eric Sweeney was slated to go on trial for first-degree murder next month. In 2024, court documents showed his legal team was considering using an insanity defense.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for October. He faces life in prison.
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