Four months ago, 25-year-old Francois Mitchell became Buffalo's 55th homicide of 2009.

Today, his 16-year-old half-brother, Dontae E. Coble, was accused of committing the city's seventh homicide of this year.

The cycle of violence in this family doesn't end there.

A cousin of the Mitchell and Coble was the city's 29th homicide victim 2007. Rome Ward had been shot and three of his fingers were severed. His badly decomposed body was found in the basement of a vacant house.

"Their mother has already lost one son and now a second son will spend a substantial amount of time in prison," Detective Sgt. Daniel Rinaldo said during today's news conference, announcing that Coble had been charged with second-degree murder in the Feb. 13 stabbing of Daniel Smalls, 18, of Lisbon Avenue.

Interim Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda pointed out that Coble was 15 when he killed Smalls at about 11 p.m. outside a party in the 2200 block of Genesee Street. Coble turned 16 on Thursday.

Mayor Byron W. Brown, who was on hand for Tuesday's announcement, noted three of the city's eight homicides this year have now been solved.