Teen murder suspect remains in custody

PLATTSBURGH | A 14-year-old accused of stabbing a West Chazy man in the chest will remain remanded to a juvenile detention facility in Albany after appearing in Clinton County Court last week. Attorney Matthew Favro requested on behalf of the teen, identified as Hunter Welch in court, that he be released into his mother's custody. Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wiley objected to that request, and Hon. Keith Bruno ultimately ruled that the teen should remain in custody. "My client was remanded without bail based on the charge and deemed a danger to the community," Favro said in court last week. "There is nothing in my mind that leads me to believe Hunter is a danger to the community. In fact, just the opposite." Welch faces charges of second degree murder, a class A felony, after allegedly "intentionally causing the death" of 29-year-old Michael Zindler of West Chazy on Oct. 11. He previously pleaded not guilty. The teen appeared in court last week wearing a dark blue sweatshirt and sweatpants, his dark brown hair cropped just above his eyes, his bangs a deep purple ombre. When he appeared from a door on the left side of the room, a woman in the audience audibly sobbed. Welch kept his head down and sat beside Favro. Another hearing in Welch's case has been scheduled for Nov. 14 before Hon. Timothy Lawliss. COUNSEL ARGUES FOR RELEASE Favro argued that his client wasn't a flight risk, and said that with him being remanded to Albany, it made it difficult to communicate with his client. "I've only been able to schedule one call over the last week," he said. "I can't help defend him unless I have reasonable and fast access to him, which I don't." The stabbing happened at Welch's mother's home in Black Brook, according to Wiley. In considering Favro's request, Judge Bruno asked for clarification on that point, and Wiley confirmed that if released the teen would return to the scene of the alleged crime. "I feel that (Welch) should remain remanded not only for the safety of the community, but for the safety of the juvenile offender," Wiley said in court last week. Wiley attempted to paint the teen's home life as unstructured and unsafe. "The mother has failed to provide proper education for the child, and has failed to supervise the child," Wiley argued. Welch's mother, Tammy, appeared visibly upset outside the courtroom last week, and declined to speak with The Sun. Asked by a reporter how she was doing, Welch declined to comment. Surrounded by reporters, she repeated multiple times, "we have to stop," before putting her hand over her mouth and shaking her head slowly. Favro said that Welch's mother had taken a leave of absence from her job, and was able to take care of her son if he's released into her custody. "It is a very serious matter and very serious charge," Wiley said. "I continue my argument for his remand." DETAILS UNDER INVESTIGATION NBC5 reported last week that the victim, Michael Zinder, had been dating Welch's older sister. Welch's sister, Savannah, alleges that Zindler hit her. She told NBC5 that the teen had told Zindler to stop hitting her, and when Zindler threatened him, and that's when the teen grabbed a knife. Zindler served nearly two years in prison on a felony charge of aggravated criminal contempt, according to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. "(Hunter) did not intend to inflict death on this man," Welch's mother told NBC5's Stephanie Gorin, in a plea to get the case bumped into Family Court. "That was not Hunter's intention whatsoever. Hunter was protecting himself and his sister." New York State Police continue to investigate the stabbing. An autopsy deemed Zindler's cause of death a homicide. Wiley said that in the days prior to the alleged stabbing, Welch had been absent from school, and he had been hospitalized twice while in his mother's care, though he did not elaborate on the nature of the hospitalizations. Welch's family told NBC5 that the teen had been home from school with a stomachache on the day of the alleged stabbing. VICTIM 'WILL BE MISSED' After news of Zindler's death spread, an outpouring of support came from friends, family and co-workers. Zindler was also known as a passionate Green Bay Packers fan and an avid outdoorsman — he loved hiking and riding his dirt bike. "He will be missed for his humor and known to always have fun," his obituary reads. "His greatest enjoyment was spending time with his niece, Hailey AnnMarie Zindler. He was always willing to help his friends and family, especially with electronics."

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Teen murder suspect remains in custody

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