Father of Mont Vernon suspect is ‘devastated'

(NECN: Brad Puffer, Mont Vernon, NH) – Today we are learning more about the teenagers charged in the murder of a New Hampshire mother — from the father of one of the suspects. “I almost died on the spot I couldn’t believe it.” James Marks is the father of 18 year old Billy Marks, now charges with burglary and armed robber – one of four teenagers arrested in connection with the Sunday morning murder of Kimberly Cates and the attempted murder of her 11 year old daughter. “It’s just devastating all around I can’t imagine how the victim’s family, husband and daughter are feeling. I don’t wish that on anyone. My heart goes out to them it really does Marks says he saw the group of teenagers that Saturday night. Later, when his son did not come home, he says he tried to reach him repeatedly, calling and sending text messages. “Didn’t hear form him until 4 or 4:30 in the morning. Ten, fifteen minutes later he came in when starlight to his room. Did you ask him what he was up to. He said he was out. Typical 18 year old smart ass answer.” Marks says he had been trying to control his son – and keep him away from Steven Spader, who he says had been arrested before Spader is accused of driving the teenagers to this Mont Vernon home, akllegedly picked at random, and killing Cates with a machete while she slept.. “I told him many times just stay away from Stevie, it’s not going to do you any good.” And just two days before the murder he says he saw Spader again. This time with a knife. “If he showed me a machete I would have called police. He showed me an eight inch all together open knife, it wasn’t a giant knife he showed me I told him to get rid of it but what am I going to do.” He knows there were warning signs. But says whatever he told his son, didn’t seem to matter “There is not so much you can do I am not going to kick him out on the street he’s my son.”