Teen Kills Classmate Then Takes ‘Selfie’ with the Dead Body

A teenager from Pittsburgh shot a 16-year old classmate in the face and took a selfie with the dead body, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reported. The selfie is being used as evidence to charge him with the murder, according to court documents.

Maxwell Marion Morton, 16, fatally shot Ryan Mangan in the face then used a mobile application called SnapChat to take a picture of himself next to the dead body. SnapChat lets users send images that vanish a few seconds after other users receive them. Mr. Morton figured that the image would delete itself, but one of the boys who received the image saved it before it could disappear. That boy’s mother called the Westmoreland County 911 office to tell them about the image.

“(Police) received a copy of the photo which depicted the victim sitting in the chair with a gunshot wound to the face,” a police affidavit reads. “It also depicts a black male taking the ‘selfie,’ with his face facing the camera and the victim behind the actor. The photo had the name ‘Maxwell’ across the top.”

Mr. Mangan’s body was found the same way it was captured in the photo. Mr. Mangan’s mother found the body in their home on Rankin Avenue in Jeanette, Pittsburgh. He was found shot once in the face.

The is the first time in 30 years of being a prosecutor that District Attorney John Peck sees a murderer take a selfie with his victim.

“I’ve never seen it before,” Mr. Peck said, “but it was a key piece of evidence that led investigators to the defendant.”

Police searched Mr. Morton’s home on Friday and found a 9 mm handgun beneath the steps to the basement.

Mr. Morton confessed to the murder of Mr. Mangan shortly thereafter.

Police also found a fired 9 mm casing in Mr. Mangan’s bedroom. However, they haven’t ballistically matched the casing with the handgun yet.

Mr. Morton, is being charged as an adult with first-degree murder, homicide and possession of a firearm by a minor in connection with the death of Mr. Mangan. He’s being held without bail at the Westmoreland County juvenile detention center in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Morton played running back for his high school football team on occasion where he wore number 33. Coach Roy Hall of the Jeanette High School football team was horrified with the news.

“I’m shocked about the whole thing,” Mr. Hall said. “It’s hard to believe.”

Mr. Mangan’s best friend’s mother, Lauri Malik, never thought Mr. Morton would murder anybody.

“His name’s never out there for being bad.” Ms. Malik said. “I’m shocked.”

The first thing Ms. Malik thought was that Mr. Morton accidentally shot Mr. Mangan.

“I’m sick to my stomach, like when I found out he was killed,” Ms. Malik said. “My heart’s broken for everybody.”