Merced County DA's son arrested in triple homicide

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The 18-year-old son of Merced County's district attorney is in jail, accused of taking part in a triple homicide last year.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Ethan Morse, son of DA Larry Morse, on Friday afternoon. He's now the fourth suspect in custody for the murders of three teenagers. Three of the suspects are booked in the Merced County Jail, but Morse is being held in the Mariposa County Jail for his own protection because of the high-profile role his father plays in the criminal justice system.

It's been more than a year since 16-year-old Samantha Parreira, 19-year-old Matthew Fisher, and 18-year-old Bernabed Canela were shot and killed at a house party near Atwater. Detectives have been working tirelessly since the March 2013 triple homicide, and this week have arrested four people in connected to the shootings.

Mark Broughton is a defense attorney who specializes in violent crimes.

"There were three individuals who were killed and that brings into play special circumstances, which makes any individual charged with special circumstances eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole," said Broughton.

On Wednesday, 19-year-old Jose Luis Botello and 18-year-old Jose Carballido were arrested and charged with murder. One day later, Jacob Tellez was arrested in San Jose. Then on Friday, an arrest without bail came down on Ethan Morse -- the son of Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse. Tellez and Morse haven't been officially charged yet but remain in jail.

"Sometimes they arrest individuals, the officers, in order to put pressure on them so that they will tell a story that they want to hear," said Broughton.

The Merced County Sheriff's Office says it's working closely with the state Attorney General's office. Broughton also says it's more than likely the Attorney General's office will handle this case because of the potential conflict of interest.

On Sunday, Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse released the following statement to Action News:

We fervently believe in and trust the criminal justice system. We also believe in our son, Ethan. When he learned an arrest had been made in connection with this case, he immediately told us he had information concerning the investigation and insisted on meeting with the detectives which he did, voluntarily and alone. He also encouraged others to meet with investigators and assisted in setting up those meetings. When it became clear early last week there could be a conflict between our office and the investigation we turned the matter over to the Attorney General's office. A bedrock principle of the criminal justice system is the presumption of innocence and we know that Ethan will be extended that same right as this investigation continues. Any other comment from me or this office would be inappropriate.