Teen Who Stabbed 4-Year-Old Cousin To Be Tried As Adult

A 14-year-old girl who has been accused of stabbing her 4-year-old cousin, Leon Thomas III, will be charged as an adult in the murder.

Brienne Delaney, a spokeswoman for the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, stated that the motion to charge the girl as an adult in the case was filed on Wednesday in a juvenile court in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ultimately, a juvenile court judge will decide if the case will be moved to adult court or not.

In court on Tuesday, the girl, who has not been identified, because she is a minor, was joined in court by her mother and grandparents, who are her legal guardians.

The Indianapolis Star reported that about a dozen other family members were also present, and several were in tears after the request to waiver to adult court was made by Deputy Prosecutor Peter Haughan.

In his statement to the judge, recommending the move, Haughan stated that the girl was a danger to herself, and also to society. Because of this, he believes that the waiver to adult court is necessary.

The girl, almost 5 feet, 4-inches tall, was led into court in handcuffs. She was wearing gray jail-issued pants, and a t-shirt, and wore her hair in a ponytail.

There was no report on if she appeared remorseful about the alleged stabbing of her cousin, who was found bleeding from stab wounds on Saturday, at the Indianapolis apartment the girl shared with her grandparents. The boy later died at a local hospital.

Police say that the girl, who her grandmother had reported as missing after the crime, was found covered in blood, walking along a nearby street.

Delaney reported that it is highly unusual for the prosecutor’s office to charge a minor with murder. She stated that only one of the 3,500 to 4,000 juvenile cases the department handles each year involve a murder charge.

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