GUILTY IN - Grace Ross, 6, found dead; Boy, 14, taken into custody, New Carlisle, 12 Mar 2021

New Posts

Poor poor Grace and her family.

I think there should be a way to try teenagers as juveniles yet still ensure they aren't released free-and-clear as young adults to harm again.

Does graphic media play a role in violence by youth? I think absolutely. And many spend hours a day online or streaming films. I bet this murderer has a cell phone and accessed tons of garbage on it. A part of his mind normalized it enough to act it out.

I also believe the more people are online, the less they bond with other people, and that it's especially harmful for youth, since their brains aren't matured. Add to that literally endless online videos and free Apps full of weapons and violence nowadays!
 
imstilla.grandma said:
I agree ocean. I realize some may think it unimaginable. It’s not. I used to work for a private freestanding psychiatric hospital. We had a specialized unit called ASAP. Adolescent Sexual Abusers Program. Patients were court adjudicated juveniles (all male) usually sent to us from other states. Mostly Illinois. I don’t know why that was. The counselors and techs couldn’t keep with the kids trying to find a way to have sex with one another. Seeking closets or playing “feely meely” under blankets or towels. I say kids, some were younger; also some nearing the age of 18 where they would be managed through a continuum of care. I have nightmares from working there. Some of them were vicious. Psychological disorders commingled with rage and sexual confusion. I had one guy jumped over a counter to come at me. The case files were heartbreaking and frightening as hell. Sex between himself and his mother created a baby. I can’t remember how old the baby was, she was very young. The guy raped his baby daughter, I don’t know what happened to his mother. Don’t let his age fool you, you and I be both shocked how some kids are raised. Incredibly sad. Poor little Grace.
Click to expand...

Ita! I'm sure you do have nightmares. How could you not? I'm so sorry you do, but it's very understandable.

It seems I read about teen violent offenders every week.

Just recently two teens, one 14, and the other teen defendant is 16. They doused accelerant on a man in his own home, and lit him on fire. The poor victim was so badly burned he died so it's now a homicide case. All I could ask myself was why would they do such a cruel thing to someone who did absolutely nothing to them? It's truly frightening.

And as we all know it isnt just teen male offenders doing horrific murders either. All we have to do is recall some of those recent cases discussed right here or do a WS search for cases involving teen killers in just the past few years.

The vast majority of teen offenders of both genders aren't declared mentally insane by criminal judicial standards. They knew right from wrong with many trying to coverup their crimes afterwards.

It's like they are very aware their murderous acts were/are wrong, but they just don't seem to care.

IRDK, the cause of such inhumane violent acts being carried out by these teen killers. I would think it's a combination of several breakdowns in our society.

Another thing I've noticed when following teen violent offenders for many years is more times than not they dont have any ounce of remorse either.

I do believe murders by teen offenders will continue to climb leaving many victims in their wake.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with all of us.

Jmho
 
St. Joseph County prosecutors filed a petition for delinquency in juvenile court against the teenager, the South Bend Tribune reported. Deputy Prosecutor Chris Fronk said the petition for delinquency alleges three counts against the teenager in the death of Grace Ross: murder, felony murder and child molesting.

Authorities are withholding the name of the boy because he has not been charged as an adult.

The state will consider the results of a psychological and competency evaluation before making a decision on whether to waive the case to adult court, Fronk said.

“In juvenile court there a lot of options that aren’t available in adult court. We want to make sure whatever course we take is well thought out, well reasoned and the best course to ensure we are seeking justice and protecting the community,” Fronk said.
Teen faces murder, molesting counts in death

A hearing is set for May 13 to see if he will be tried as an adult, according to ABC 57. He will undergo a psychological exam.

Deputy Prosecutor Christopher Fronk said the case was difficult not so much because of the facts, but because it straddled the line between juvenile and adult courts. This made it procedurally difficult.

Grace’s grandfather Timothy Howard voiced sympathy for the defendant’s mother amid a hearing on Monday.

“Well, as I sat there I looked at that mom I couldn’t make eye contact with her,” he said. “I could look at someone that’s a working day mom just like everyone else probably doing the best that she could. I can’t see holding her responsible.”

That said, Howard demanded justice.

“He committed a crime that he has to pay for and that’s what we want,” he said, according to WSBT. “We want him to get justice.”

The defendant voiced confusion at his hearing, telling the judge he did not “really understand much of what is going on,” according to WNDU. The judge asked what he did not understand. The defendant said he did not understand the “child molestation part” of the charges.
https://lawandcrime.com/crime/he-ha...ifying-murder-molestation-of-6-year-old-girl/
 
imstilla.grandma said:
The defendant voiced confusion at his hearing, telling the judge he did not “really understand much of what is going on,” according to WNDU. The judge asked what he did not understand. The defendant said he did not understand the “child molestation part” of the charges.
https://lawandcrime.com/crime/he-ha...ifying-murder-molestation-of-6-year-old-girl/
Click to expand...

The 14 year old may not realize how much LE is able to tell or knows, forensically, about what happened.
 
Attorneys for the teen filed a request to prohibit public access to future juvenile court proceedings--something the judge found was prohibited by law.

The law specifically requires that the public have access to delinquency hearings when defendants commit an “act that would be considered murder or a felony in adult court.”

The eight-page ruling sets the ground rules for the next scheduled hearing in the case set for May 13th.

Two hearings will be held—one closed and one open. Testimony related to the mental competency of the teen will take place outside public purview.
Public access limited in court for 14-year-old murder suspect
 
The court document says the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit was alerted to the discovery of a 6-year-old girl's body in New Carlisle around 8 p.m. on March 12.

After Ross' body was found, a woman took the suspect to investigators and said he had seen the girl in the woods.

The 14-year-old was interviewed by investigators.

The teen said Ross had followed him into the woods and he wandered around and lost track of her.

He told investigators a shadow man had controlled his hands and made him strangle Ross, reports said.

He said he felt her soul/spirit leave her body, then checked to make sure he was dead, reports said.

The suspect ran to his apartment and washed blood off his hands, then took a shower, reports said.

The juvenile did not explain why Ross was naked.
Prosecutor's office releases details in murder of Grace Ross
 
Police spoke to the 14-year-old suspect and his mother on the night Ross’ body was found in woods near the apartment complex where both Ross and the suspect lived.

The report says the suspect first told them a “shadowy man was controlling him,” making him strangle Ross with his hands.

The boy said he knew Grace was dead, because he felt her soul/spirit leave her body.

The boy then went back to his apartment and took a shower, hiding his dirty clothes.

The 14-year-old suspect is currently being tried for murder and molestation in the juvenile court system, and not as an adult.
GRAPHIC: New details released in the death of 6-year-old Grace Ross
 
From comments made by the prosecutors, I don't think the delays are just smoke and mirrors by the defense. I think they may know from the preliminary evaluations that they are dealing with a very disturbed individual and they are trying to figure out how to try the case so that maximum safety for the community is ensured. My opinion only.
 
fred&edna said:
I think of these deaths...
Jaxon Hunter 6 months old (WI) - 10 year old female charged
Isabella Courtney 6 years old (TX) - 12 year old male charged
Click to expand...

These are similar in the sense that the youth of the offender makes you think "what on earth happened here?" But these two cases were apparently the result of rage or disregard for human life/safety. The murder of Grace Ross, with its sexual component, indicates a level of disturbance of the offender that is more like what an adult predator of children would do. So this is actually probably going to be much more like the murder of Jessica Ridgway or Madyson Middleton in terms of the psychological makeup of the young offender, in my opinion.
 
airportwoman said:
I was living in the region when this happened. That the perpetrator was a GIRL was especially horrifying.

Murder of Elizabeth Olten
Click to expand...
At least the perpetrator is in prison for a good many years -- or at least that's the way I read the article...
Horrible all the way around. Two lives and two families ruined. At least the family of the perpetrator can visit her.
The parents of the deceased only have pictures and good memories of their loved one...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

DNASolves

Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

Members online

... and 149 more.
Total: 3,403 (members: 150, guests: 3,253)

Online statistics

Members online
150
Guests online
3,253
Total visitors
3,403
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
592,296
Messages
17,966,857
Members
228,735
Latest member
dil2288
Back
Top