Erin Bloomfield is the mother of the 8-year-old boy who was charged with the murder of his father, Vincent Romero, and his father's friend, Timothy Romans; Bloomfield and Romero were divorced. The New York Times: Mother Baffled in Arizona Murders (November 12, 2008)

Over the objections of his mother, on February 19, 2009, the boy pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in Roman's death and the murder charge for his father's death was dropped. He will be in the custody of the state until he turns 18.Fox News: Memory of 9-Year-Old's Double Homicide Haunts Arizona Community (February 21, 2009) New York Times: Boy, 9, Enters a Guilty Plea in 2 Killings in Arizona (February 21, 2009)

According to Bloomfeld, the boy and his dad were close, and spent time playing basketball, hiking and hunting. Although the police claimed that the boy voluntarily confessed to the murders, she expressed concern about the possibility coercion, according to The New York Times. "I don't believe he did this," said Bloomfield.

"This town is too small. Everybody thinks they know what happened. They’re saying all kinds of things about my son. They have smashed him down to nothing."The New York Times: Mother Baffled in Arizona Murders (November 12, 2008)—Erin Bloomfield

"I blew some kisses at him and told him to put some in his pocket for later. Later he told me he needed more kisses to put in his pocket."The New York Times: Mother Baffled in Arizona Murders (November 12, 2008)—Erin Bloomfield