Calif. teen guilty in 2013 murder of his sister, 8
VALLEY SPRINGS, Calif. -- A California teen has been convicted of second-degree murder by a juvenile judge in the 2013 stabbing death of his 8-year-old sister, Leila Fowler, reports CBS Sacramento. The boy's family says they are standing behind him, and a lawyer plans to appeal the ruling.
The girl was found stabbed to death in April 2013 in her family's home in Valley Springs. Her brother, 12 at the time, was the only one home with her. He called 911 to report an intruder had attacked his sister, but police became suspicious of his story.
Prosecutors argued the boy fatally stabbed Leila 23 times before cleaning himself and calling his parents 45 minutes later to report the intruder, reports the Sacramento Bee. They also say he made inconsistent statements to a 911 dispatcher. In his ruling, a juvenile judge cited evidence including the girl's blood found on two knives in the home's kitchen, reports CBS Sacramento.
However, the boy's lawyer, Mark Reichel, argued at trial that evidence at the scene pointed away from his client, reports the Union Democrat. He said DNA of an unknown male was found during an analysis of the girl's sexual assault kit and unidentified fingerprints were found in the home, reports the paper.
48 Hours' Crimesider is not naming the boy because of his young age.
Now 15, he been incarcerated since his May 2013 arrest. If given the maximum sentence, he could stay in juvenile detention until he's 23, reports the station.
The family reportedly remains convinced an unknown suspect is responsible for the attack.
"I said if you have evidence, arrest him; here he is," Barney Fowler told the station. "But you have to convince me. They haven't done that."
The boy is scheduled for sentencing Nov. 4.