Written by Janet
Two boys, ages 12 and 15 wanted to run away to Arizona so bad, that they gunned down the stepdad who stood in their way. They planned this secretly, and the 49 year old stepdad was shot to death last week so the judge has ruled the boys will be tried as adults.
Detective Jonathan Tyler testified that the boys and two of their friends, who didn’t take part in the actual slaying, plotted for at least a month to kill Danner, so they could run off to Arizona. The day they planned their little scheme, the boys met in a park before going to the older boy’s home near Lake Wawasee, between Fort Wayne and South Bend, where he had gathered two of Danner’s handguns. The boys then waited in the living room until the stepdad, Phillip Danner entered from the kitchen. Danner was shot 4 times – once in the eye, once in the wrist, and twice in the chest.
Before this all happened, the boys were good students, and had stayed out of serious trouble. The worst trouble either had been in came last year when the 15-year-old was put under juvenile court supervision for four months after he shot a BB gun at a neighbor riding a lawn mower.
Here’s how the plan was carried out: The two boys took off in the car of the 15 year old’s mother, who was on vacation, and they met up hours after the killing. It’s still unknown why they wanted to go to Arizona. Police theorize that the boys — who allegedly killed Danner and headed west on April 20, an unofficial holiday for marijuana users — intended to sell pot. Police said alcohol, marijuana and a gun were found in the car when the boys were caught in Peru, Ill., about 5 a.m. the next day.
Attorneys for these two stressed yesterday in court that they were innocent until proven guilty, and should be tried as juveniles, but the judge said this was a serious crime, and the juvenile system couldn’t handle it, so they are tried as adults.
Both boys are being held in the county jail and could face an initial hearing in adult court as early as Friday.
Janet
/ 05/05/2011http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110430/EDIT/304309996/1147/EDIT07