Bowie County District Attorney Jerry Rochelle said his office will seek to have a 15-year-old certified to stand trial as an adult in the Dec. 23 shooting death of an 18-year-old.
Rochelle said the boy appeared before County Court at Law Judge Craig Henry on Thursday for a detention hearing. Rochelle said the state asked that the teen remain in custody because of the nature of the charge against him and his prior referrals to juvenile court. He is being held in an area juvenile detention facility.
Rochelle said his office intends to seek certification of the teen to stand trial in adult court.
The juvenile and 20-year-old Christopher Cross are both charged with capital murder in the death of Amilleon Kalaan Jackson.
Shortly after 2:30 pm on December 22, 2019 Bowie County Deputies were dispatched to 39 Riverbend for shots fired. Upon their arrival they found the victim deceased in the parking lot of the apartment complex. Both defendants turned themselves in on Monday.
Cross allegedly told investigators he drove the juvenile to the scene and that he knew the teen was planning to rob Jackson of his marijuana.
Cross is being held in the Bowie County jail with bail set at $1 million.
Rochelle said the teen cannot receive the death penalty even if certified as an adult because the law does not permit capital punishment for those 17 and under.
