Will 15 year old Fall City juvenile shooter accused of fatally shooting dead 5 family members dead have his case tried in adult court? If the Washington state juvenile’s case remains in juvenile court, the teen gunman by law will be released upon turning 25.
Prosecutors in Washington state are seeking to have a 15 year old Fall City teen accused of fatally shooting 5 family members have his case progress to adult court. In the event the boy’s case stays within juvenile court, by law he will have to be released upon turning 25.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office appearing in front of a judge in juvenile court on Friday sought to have the un-identified teen’s case move to adult court where if the 15 year old is convicted of five first degree felony murder and one attempted murder charge he will face life in prison.
Judge to decide whether Fall City teen shooter to be tried in juvenile or adult court
A judge is now set to weigh arguments from both prosecutors and the defense on whether the boy’s case will be tried in adult or juvenile court, KOMO News reported.
‘That process in all types of cases takes months – the judge will have multiple opportunities to hear from prosecutors and defense before making a final decision,’ said Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO).
The motion follows the Fall City by Lake Alice teen gunning down his family early Monday at their multi-million mansion home. Killed were parents, Mark, 43, and Sarah Humiston, 42, his two brothers and sister, ages, ages 7, 9 and 13, to death, along with injuring his 11-year-old sister, the sole survivor of what prosecutors described was a ‘premeditated attack.’
Defense attorney Amy Parker described the alleged teen killer as a ‘caring boy,’ who has no criminal history, and enjoys mountain biking and fishing.
‘We want the court to know that multiple people in the community have reached out to us who know our client, and they have attested to his good character,’ she said in court on Friday, FOX13 reported.
‘He has been described by them as kind and caring. This is a boy who has many friends, has pro-social interests, and has been a positive contributor to his community.’
Teen who allegedly killed 5 family members could potentially only have to serve ten years in custody
Those sentiments contrast to charging documents presented by prosecutors, which described the 15 year old (who was present during his first court appearance after waiving a Tuesday appearance) as ‘deliberately scheming’ to kill his victims.
The teen is accused of hatching a plot to stage the massacre as a murder-suicide carried out by his 13-year-old brother and be the family’s sole survivor, according to the charging docs.
Court documents claim the 15-year-old tried to say his brother, who was murdered, committed the murderous rampage after he was caught watching illicit content the previous evening.
Detectives also allege that the accused teen killer attempted to stage the crime scene to appear as if his brother carried out the heinous act and ‘placed’ a pistol in his hand after he was killed.
The 11-year-old sister of the suspect, the only family member to survive the killing spree, said her brother used her father’s 9mm Glock handgun to fatally shoot her parents, her brothers, Benjamin and Joshua, and her little sister Katheryn, according to charging documents.
According to the documents, the teen’s murderous rage came after he failed some tests at school and got into ‘a lot of trouble.’
If the case does not progress to adult court and stays within juvenile court, the 15-year-old would be held at a facility for juveniles until the age of 25, which would be less than 10 years from sentencing, and released with no further sanctions, KING5 reported.
If the case is moved to adult court and the 15-year-old is convicted, the sentence set by lawmakers is 25 years to life with presumptions of release after 25 years, which the state’s sentence review board would later determine. The 15-year-old would be held at a juvenile facility until he turns 25 and would then be transferred to the Department of Corrections.
A judge is expected to make a decision on what court the teen will be tried during a hearing on June 4, 2025, prosecutors said.
The 15 year old remains in custody at the Clark Child and Family Justice Center in Seattle.