Recent state ruling vacated automatic bind over to adult courts
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ZACHARIAH HUDDLESTON, MARQUEVOUS WATKINS, and ALEXUS WALTON |
Two 17-year-old girls who were in Jeffrey Brentlinger’s 6498 Township Road 127, Zanesfield, home when he was slain will not automatically face trial as a adult as a result of a recent ruling.
Instead, Tatianna Freeman and Jasmine D. Lewis, both of Lima, will undergo psychological evaluations, a joint probable cause hearing and an amenability hearing before Logan County Family Court Judge Kim Kellogg-Martin decides if the teens should be tried as adults.
A recent Ohio Supreme Court decision ruled it was unconstitutional to automatically transfer a juvenile case to adult court when the offender is 14 or older and murder is being alleged.
The two teens are accused of delinquency counts of complicity to murder, complicity to first-degree felony aggravated robbery and complicity to first-degree felony aggravated burglary.
They appeared Tuesday before Judge Kellogg-Martin.
Authorities allege the two were in Mr. Brentlinger’s house as invited guests late Nov. 23 into Nov. 24. when the 45-year-old victim was shot one time.
He was found Thanksgiving morning by his daughter, Kelsie, when she returned to the home around 11 a.m.
Prosecutors have charged Zachariah A. Huddleston, 22, and Marquevous E. Watkins, 21, each with murder, first-degree felony aggravated robbery and first-degree felony aggravated burglary. Both also face specifications that the crimes involved a firearm.
Alexus E. Walton, 19, who allegedly drove the group from Lima to Zanesfield, has been charged complicity to murder, complicity to first-degree felony aggravated robbery and complicity to first-degree felony aggravated burglary.
All three remain lodged in the Logan County Jail. The teens are housed at the Logan County Juvenile Detention Center.
Incoming Logan County Prosecutor and current Chief Assistant Prosecutor Eric Stewart said detectives with the Logan County Sheriff’s Office have collected evidence such as a firearm, cellular phone records and video camera footage from inside the residence.
They continue to process the evidence and await forensic analysis of some the evidence.
There is evidence the victim exchanged text messages with one of the 17-year-old girls and invited both to the residence.
It appears the victim may have met the girls through an Internet social media site, Mr. Stewart said.
Even though authorities are not sure yet which man shot the victim, they are both culpable in the death under Ohio’s laws, he said.
Likewise, all of the females are culpable in the crime, the prosecutor said.
He expects a probable cause hearing will take place in mid-January.