Wednesday, February 03, 2016

White Pine boy convicted of murder
   The trial for an 11 year-old White Pine boy charged in the 2015 killing of an eight year-old neighbor girl, ended Monday evening with a guilty verdict after two days of testimony in Jefferson County Juvenile Court.    However Jefferson County Juvenile Judge Dennis "Will" Roach sealed the ruling until Tuesday.     Fourth Judicial District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn said the boy had been detained on First Degree murder charges, "delinquency by reason of murder," on a juvenile petition.    He was charged in the October 4, 2015 shotgun killing of his next door neighbor, eight year-old McKayla Dyer, on Robin Road outside of White Pine.    The court order says the boy "is in need of treatment and rehabilitation."    Testimony indicated that the defendant was speaking from inside his mobile home with three girls who were standing outside. With McKayla were two 11 year-old girls, a sister and a friend. During the conversation the defendant asked the girls to retrieve a puppy belonging to the victim and her sister.The girls denied the request and so the defendant left the window. He returned with the shotgun and a bb-gun. He announced he had guns, the victim laughed at him saying she did not believe the guns were real.     “(He) then made certain the gun was loaded, cocked the hammer of the gun, and shot the victim just above the heart, from a distance of three to five feet," the court said in it's ruling. The defendant then threw both guns out the window,"and laughed at the girls." Tiller did not attempt to help the victim.    The court held that the defendant "is in desperate need of help, and our society has a great need for (him to) receive it."  Judge Roach also calls upon state officials to determine why the defendant, an 11 year-old child, chose to kill and eight year-old child, "and to treat and rehabilitate his so that this will not happen again.A child who commits first-degree murder cannot be willy-nilly turned loose into society. To hold otherwise would, in the opinion of the court,fly in the face of reasonable prudence. "     Prosecutor Dunn said the case ended at about 7 pm on Monday, at which time the court "applied the facts to the law and found the juvenile guilty of First Degree Murder and ordered him to be sent to the Department of Children's Services(DCS) for a determinate sentence till his 19th. birthday."      Dunn said under the law, a judge can impose an indeterminate sentence which gives DCS which means the defendant can receive treatment or rehabilitation and be released according to a decision by DCS. In the current case the defendant has been ordered held till his 19th. birthday.     Judge Roach heard testimony from eyewitnesses to the shooting as well as the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on the victim.     "I am pleased with the outcome of the case, however it has been a very difficult case because it involves such a young defendant and victim," the prosecutor said.


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