14-Year-Old Charged with First Degree Murder

J.R., 14 years old, has been charged with murder in an incident that resulted in the death of the teen's mother. Reports state that J.R. had been suspended from school after "running his mouth". He had been grounded by his mother after she discovered this. The teen allegedly started a fire at the base of the stairs of his family's two story home in reaction to his punishment. His mother, 45-year-old G.W., was upstairs at the time. The fire soon engulfed the stairway and destroyed it. The flames spread to other areas of the house as well. Fire rescue arrived to put out the fire. J.R. went to a neighbor's house while fire fighters were working on the situation. J.R.'s mother was discovered upstairs without a pulse. Emergency medical personnel were unable to resuscitate her and she was declared dead. Authorities began questioning J.R. about the incident. At first the teen blamed the fire on someone else but then reportedly admitted to setting the fire at the base of the stairs. He was placed in custody and taken to a juvenile detention center. Consult with a criminal defense attorney immediately if you or a loved one has been charged with a crime.

Prosecutors Move to Try Teen as an Adult

J.R. has been charged with first degree murder in the perpetration of a felony. Arson is a felony offense and the subsequent death of his mother resulted in harsh charges being brought against the 14-year-old. J.R.'s defense lawyer has been working to get the case transferred to juvenile court. He pointed out that the teen had not been read his Miranda Rights at the time of his alleged confession and also described years of mental illness. J.R. reportedly has a documented history of mental illness which his defender is arguing should be a basis for removing the case from adult criminal court. The judge had previously thrown out J.R.'s confession as part of the case but prosecutors are working to get the murder charges upheld.

Memphis Murder Defense Lawyer

If you or your child, parent, spouse or other loved is facing murder charges then you need a highly skilled defender on the case right away. A defense lawyer with us at the Claiborne Ferguson Law Firm may be able to help. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. We are passionate about doing everything possible to help our client avoid serious incarceration and fines.