BETHLEHEM, Ga. -- A sixth-grade Bethlehem Elementary School student who was paddled the day before was charged with fatally stabbing principal Murray Kennedy during a heated meeting with the boy's mother.
Kevin Lyle Jones, 13, was charged with murder Wednesday hours after Kennedy, 43, died of stab wounds to the shoulder, neck and chest, authorities said.
Barrow County School Superintendent Don Hights said the incident occurred about 8:10 a.m. as Kennedy discussed his reasons for paddling Jones with the youth and his mother.
'I'm sure Mr. Kennedy had dealt with parents and disciplinary actions on numerous times,' Hights said. 'You never expect this kind of occurrence. There was no reason to believe this young man to be violent.'
Authorities said the meeting with Jones and his mother apparently became so heated that Kennedy called the sheriff's office requesting a deputy be sent to the school.
Kennedy, who had been principal of the rural elementary school since 1983, had been stabbed by the time a deputy arrived, authorities said.
Barrow County Sheriff Gerald Thomas said there was 'considerable bleeding' from Kennedy's wounds but themurder weapon, either a pencil or fingernail file, had not been recovered.
'The door was closed,' Hights said. 'The only eyewitness was the mother.'
Jones fled from the school after the stabbing and authorities said Kennedy was rushed to the Barrow Medical Center in Winder, where he died about 9:20 a.m.
Jones was brought to the Barrow County jail several hours later by his father and was charged with murder at a Wednesday afternoon appearance before a juvenile court judge.
The boy, who Hights said was enrolled in some special education classes, was being held in the Youth Detention Center in Gainesville.
Kennedy joined the Barrow County school system in 1972 and was named principal of Bethlehem Elementary in 1983.
'It's not a school that has been plagued with discipline problems or any violence,' Hights said.
Kennedy is survived by his wife, Juanita, and two sons, Michael and Scott. Michael is a senior at Winder-Barrow High School and Scott is a freshman.
