Kaylee Gain and Maurnice DeClue family lawyers meet for a certification hearing to decide if Missouri teen should be tried as an adult as lawyers address reporters along with the aunt of Maurnice stating a CashApp fundraiser for legal fees being removed because of ‘false allegations’ by cruel people.
Amid the ongoing drama revolving around two Missouri teens, seen on video embroiled in a brawl that saw one of them severely beaten with her head repeatedly smashed on the concrete ground at the hands of the other, the two girl’s families on Monday met for a certification meeting in St Louis.
Kaylee Gain,16, who until recently had been in a coma following the March 8th attack which left her with brain damage and a fractures skull continued to make progress according to her family.
Family lawyers address reporters
Having begun speech therapy and taking small walks with the assistance of hospital staff, the 15 year old girl had yet to understand what had led to her being at the hospital. The revelations come as Gain’s family insists her foe, Maurnice DeClue, 15, whose family members appeared on her behalf during Monday’s court meeting should be tried as an adult.
During Monday’s certification hearing, a date was set for May 10, which will rule if Maurnice is to be tried as an adult for the first-degree felony assault charges the dailymail reported.
Maurnice continues to remain in custody at a St Louis courthouse juvenile facility following her arrest one day after the March 8 after school fight.
DeClue’s lawyer, Gregory Smith following the hearing, defended Maurnice, telling reporters, ’she’s being dragged through the mud nationally. It’s any mother or father’s instinct to talk about their child.’
The lawyer stated that there was ‘much more to the case,’ and described Maurnice as a bullied ‘honors roll student’
Fabricated social media posts
DeClue’s family in the interim continue to maintain that Maurnice not be tried as an adult and that she be extended compassion as the situation leading up to the two girl’s fighting was ‘complicated’ and that Maurnice was in fact the real victim and hadn’t been bullying Kaylee as it has been previously claimed.
Addressing alleged social media posts that DeClue had made ridiculing Kaylee after the fight, in which Maurnice allegedly said she was a WWE fighter, a legal rep on Monday admitted the statements were in fact fabricated.
Stated family lawyer, Bryan Kaemmerer: ‘It appears that the social media posts that were made from an account bearing the name of the accused do not appear to be legitimate in light of additional details that have surfaced about the timing of the accused’s arrest, the accused’s lack of access to her phone after she was taken into custody, and metadata showing precisely when these posts were first published.’
DeClue’s parents reportedly told KSDK that she ‘wants to apologize’ to Kaylee, ahead of a court hearing on Monday.
They have been visiting DeClue while she remains in juvenile custody and claim police have complied messages on social media which allegedly include threats towards the teen.
The family lawyer said that Kaylee’s family were ‘encouraged’ after DeClue’s parents said she wished to apologize for her actions ahead of her court hearing on Monday.
‘While these statements do not change the family’s position that it is appropriate for the accused to be tried as an adult, it is encouraging that the accused appears to be remorseful for what transpired during these unfortunate events,’ he added in a statement.
The attorney went on to recognize that previously alleged statements mocking Kaylee’s demise at the hands of Maurnice were in fact fabricated, albeit with a caveat.
‘The family is thankful that the accused apparently did not post these entirely distasteful messages.
‘This does not, however, change the fact that the family firmly believes that there is more than sufficient evidence for the accused to be tried as an adult.’
‘It wasn’t a scam it was legit.’
In further revelations, DeClue’s family also took issue with ‘cruel people’ who managed to get a CashApp fundraiser for Maurice’s legal fees taken down.
Posted Maurice’s aunt, Gwendolyn DeClue on social media: ‘People can be so cruel and they have worked really hard and succeeded to get the CashApp taken down as of this morning.
‘Some are saying it was a scam. It wasn’t a scam it was legit. If you would like to help in my niece legal support please reach out to us. Your help is truly appreciated.’
In previous social media postings, the aunt stated that her niece is an honor roll student at Hazelwood East High School with an exemplary record and was ‘defending herself’ during the fight with Kaylee.
A change org petition to try Maurnice as an adult with attempted murder has since garnered over 1194 signatures as the dilemma involving both Gain and DeClue continues to polarise the community.
While a previous GoFundme fundraiser for Maurnice’s legal bills had managed to raise over $3K, it was quickly taken down for contravening GoFundme rules disallowing funding efforts for anyone charged with a felony crime.
Nevertheless a change org petition for compassion for Maurnice continued to gain support amid supporters. The petition which now has 1528 signatures states that Maurnice has been tried in the court of public opinion and that she is in fact the real victim and had only responding to ongoing bullying against her.
Of note, the day before the two girl’s fight, Kaylee Gain was suspended for beating up another girl at the school, which was caught on video. The two girls are alleged to have been part of two respective warring tribes at the school.
