Editor’s note: There are horrific details of a homicide in this tale.
Caldwell (Statesman of Idaho) A probable cause document acquired by the Idaho Statesman shows that the 51-year-old father accused of killing his teenage daughter confessed to the crime shortly after Mountain Home police apprehended him.
Law authorities claimed that Delbert Cornish shot and killed his 18-year-old daughter, Onyx Cornish, at his brother’s house in downtown Caldwell, where he lived with his daughter and one of his sons. Cornish left the scene and was caught in Mountain Home on Monday.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, he was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and enhancement for the use of the deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.
According to internet records, he is currently being held at the Canyon County Jail without bond. Cornish may be sentenced to life in prison or, if prosecutors so desire, the death penalty if found guilty of first-degree murder. His next hearing is set for the Canyon County Courthouse on September 3 at 8:30 a.m.
She was just a kid : Mother wonders why Onyx was killed
According to Caldwell Police Detective Taylor O. Neil’s affidavit, Cornish asked his 15-year-old son how his day had gone when he returned home from school on Monday and then informed him that he had slain his sister. The statement stated that Cornish attempted to persuade his son to enter his sister’s room to witness her death, but he refused.
According to O Neil, Cornish then snatched his pistol from the couch, fired it at the ground, and prevented the teenager from leaving the house. According to the affidavit, Cornish also aimed the gun at his kid. The affidavit states that when they wrestled for the pistol, his son managed to take it from his father before dropping it in the doorway, fleeing the house, and dialing 911.
According to the affidavit, Caldwell Police Department officers showed up at the 1600 block of Blaine Street, sealed off the property, and declared their intention to attempt to evict Cornish. Officers later claimed to have discovered that Cornish had left and had visited his ex-girlfriend in Mountain Home in his brother’s 2020 Orange Dodge Challenger.
Shortly before 7 p.m., Cornish was taken into custody and informed of his Miranda rights, which included the possibility that his words could be used against him and the right to silence. According to the affidavit, Cornish started discussing the shooting as police drove him to the station.
According to the affidavit, he confessed to killing his daughter after being seated in the interview room of the station by a Mountain Home police corporal. When Detective O Neil walked in, he confessed to the crime once more.
Without being asked, Cornish remarked, “I’m not gonna lie, I did it, dude,” while O Neil swabbed his hands for gunshot residue, per the affidavit.
The Statesman sent a series of follow-up questions regarding the case, but the Caldwell Police Department refused to respond.
Spokesman Char Jackson stated in an email that there is still no need to disclose all of the case’s specifics, including the suspect’s right to a fair and impartial jury. We may be able to make this information public once the matter has been decided.
According to the court complaint, Cornish broke down in tears when he inquired as to whether they had located his daughter and that he ought to have committed suicide. According to the complaint, officers discovered Onyx laying on her bedroom floor with a gunshot wound to her head.
Onyx was a strong-willed, outspoken young woman who enjoyed music, especially heavy metal, according to her family and friends. Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet For My Valentine were two of Onyx’s favorite bands, according to her mother, Crystal Thompson, who instilled her musical preferences in her daughter.
Onyx had previously struggled with substance misuse, but according to her mother, she was sober for more than a year and began seeing a new person who made her feel her best. According to her mother, she was unable to comprehend why this occurred.
I’m still thinking, Was she afraid? The Statesman was informed by Thompson. Was there a major altercation? Did he treat her cruelly? What’s bothering me is that I have no idea how she felt.
The woman told the Statesman that Cornish had struggled with depression for years, even though he never received an official mental health diagnosis that Thompson was aware of. However, she asserted that it is their duty as parents to address their own trauma and problems.
That is not what we should teach our kids. How dare he? Thompson stated. I’m not sure how to interpret it, and I don’t see why he wouldn’t ask for assistance, take a drive, or scuff the couch instead. I don’t give a damn.
She then on, “I just wonder how long he knew he was going to do that.” I’m not sure why. Why? She was only a child.
Cornish admits to killing daughter, court record says
According to the affidavit, Cornish described his drunkenness and melancholy in his interview with O Neil. He also stated that he was bored of living. According to the court statement, he purchased a black 9 mm Hi-Point handgun from Sportsman Warehouse in Nampa last year with the intention of shooting himself and deciding to kill his kids as well.
According to the affidavit, Cornish said, “Both of my kids would be dead, and I would be dead,” in response to O Neil’s question about his plans for the day. According to O Neil, Cornish had a few shots of bourbon after his son left for school on Monday and remained on the couch for about an hour, thinking over his choice.
According to the affidavit, he retrieved the handgun at about nine in the morning, went down the hallway to his daughter’s room, and stood in front of her door. According to the affidavit, Cornish told O Neil that he considered killing Onyx while she was sleeping because it would be simpler. Onyx worked nights at the Wendy’s off of 10th Avenue in Caldwell.
The affidavit states that Onyx startled him by opening her bedroom door while he was standing outside. Then he shot her. Cornish told O Neil as he sobbed, “I watched her gasp for breath for the next twenty minutes.” Man, I’m a piece of s**t. I’ll be honest: I did it.
According to the affidavit, he then apologized to Onyx, kissed her on the cheek, and covered her with a big Pride flag as a sign of respect. Her cat was also shot and killed by him.
According to the affidavit, Cornish claimed that he then became furious. According to O Neil’s affidavit, he threw a hatchet against Onyx’s bedroom door and punched multiple holes in the wall. According to the affidavit, Cornish started drinking more to block out the memory of what he had just done. He consumed about a third of a half-gallon bottle of bourbon.
My name is Cornish, Delbert. The signed note said, “I have done the abomination you find (here).” On my own initiative, my son and daughter had accompanied me. If I’m gone, nobody will assist them. I’m checking out of this existence now. Depression is a terrible thing.
When his son got home from school, Cornish told him he d shot Onyx, and tried to prevent him from leaving the house, the affidavit said. Cornish disputed that the gun was ever pointed at him.
Cornish agreed to write an apology letter to his son during the interview, the affidavit said. He apologized for his actions, told him he loved him and was proud of him for standing up to him, and told his son to never be like him, the affidavit said.
