Judge Considers Whether Teen Murder Suspect Should Be Tried As Adult
BRIGHTON, Colo. (CBS4) - A hearing is underway to determine whether the teenage suspect in the murder of a 10-year-old girl should be tried as an adult.
The Adams County coroner says Kiaya Campbell died from blunt force injuries to the head due to an assault last summer. There were many lacerations and fractures to her head that caused her death.
Police found Campbell's body on June 9, 2017 in a drainage ditch approximately a mile away from her home. Two days later officers arrested Aiden Zellmer, a 15-year-old boy who lived in the same house, for murder. Zellmer's mother was in a relationship with Campbell's father at the time.
Zellmer appeared in court Tuesday. The hearing was closed because the suspect is only 15 years old. He has been charged with first-degree murder. If tried as an adult, he could face life in prison.