A 12-year-old girl accused of suffocating her 8-year-old cousin on July 15 while the two spent summer vacation with their grandmother in Humboldt, Tennessee, appeared in court last week on charges of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
The young slaying suspect, who was not identified by authorities because of her age, will turn 13 in the coming days while behind bars — marking a dual tragedy for the friends and relatives of both girls.
Frederick Agee, District Attorney General for the 28th District in West Tennessee, announced that his office is petitioning Juvenile Judge Mark Johnson to transfer the child to Circuit Court for trial as an adult, citing evidence of an apparent coverup by the young suspect.
“I consider this to be one of the most disturbing violent acts committed by either an adult or juvenile that my office has prosecuted,” Agee said in a statement posted to social media, adding the state would pursue the maximum sentence allowed by law.
Meanwhile, the 8-year-old victim was identified as Demeria Hollingsworth, a student at Cockrill Elementary School in Nashville.