James Lambert death: Philadelphia teen charged after turning himself in for fatally beating elderly man with traffic cone

James Lambert may finally be getting his justice.

Richard Jones, aged 14, was charged as an adult with third-degree murder and criminal conspiracy after he surrendered himself on Monday, July 11, in connection with the brutal killing of 73-year-old Lambert in Philadelphia last month.

Jones and his 10-year-old brother confessed to the crime together but the younger brother was released after being cleared of all charges, as per reports.

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Police suspects seven juveniles for James Lambert's murder, arrests are underway

The Jones brothers were allegedly among the seven juveniles who were seen on camera hitting James Lambert with a traffic cone on June 24, 2022. The incident took place just before 3 AM. Jones, according to the police, was the first to strike the man with a cone. A third female suspect, who is seen striking James Lambert at least three times in the security video, has also been identified by police.

The Philadelphia Police Department said in a statement:

"The teens struck the victim several times with objects, knocking the victim to the ground causing injuries to his head."

After being admitted to the hospital, James Lambert succumbed to his wounds the next day, as per authorities.

Commenting on the incident, the brothers’ attorney, Rania Major, said:

"It's a very sad situation for all of the children, for the man's family and for everybody involved. These are children, let's let them have their peace."

Danny Freeman of NBC Philadelphia reports that Lambert's family members are in disbelief. In a tweet, Freeman said:

"His family tells me they're heartbroken and they saw him just hours before he was attacked. They're in disbelief a group of kids did this."

Security footage of the assault was made public by authorities last week, and they also added that the suspects include four black males and three black females "who appear to be in their early to mid-teens."

James Lambert was seen being chased by the suspects in the video, who repeatedly struck him in the head with a traffic cone after they cornered him. One of the suspects used a cellphone to record the assault. According to Homicide Capt. Jason Smith of the Philadelphia Police Department, at least two of the group's members took part in the assault of James Lambert.

Authorities are requesting communication from the parents of all the others involved. Addressing the parents of the other juveniles involved, Smith said:

"The message I would like to put out there is to the parents of these juveniles, if they are aware that their son or daughter is involved in this incident, I think the best course of action would be for them to contact an attorney and then contact the homicide unit."

A 10 PM curfew was recently imposed for teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17, and it will be in effect through September 29, as per NBC. Children under the age of 13 are required to return home by 9:30 PM.

The Philadelphia Police Department also announced a $20,000 reward last week for information that would result in an indictment and conviction in James Lambert's brutal death. Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Unit of the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-3334/3335.