Guardians of paralyzed youth jailed on neglect charges

CARSON CITY -- A boy who survived his parents' 2003 murder-suicide in Northern Nevada has been hospitalized, authorities said, and his guardians have been arrested on suspicion of failing to properly care for him.

Christopher Schmerber, 14, who was shot and paralyzed in the earlier incident, was listed in critical condition at an Oakland, Calif., hospital with renal failure and ulcerated bed sores.

He was initially taken to a Carson City hospital on Feb. 17 with at least four severely infected bed sores, according to court documents.

His aunt, Lorraine Bowers, 46, and her husband, James Bowers, 48, were arrested April 3 on charges of felony child neglect and endangerment.

The couple denied intentionally harming the boy, according to police reports.

Christopher Schmerber was 9 when he was wounded in the November 2003 incident at his family's home in Mound House just east of Carson City.

He was shot twice by his mother, Tamara Schmerber, before she turned the gun on herself, sheriff's investigators said. The mother earlier had shot and killed her husband, Richard Schmerber.

James Bowers was being held in jail on $25,000 bail. Lorraine Bowers was released on bail Friday.