12-year-old charged with murdering mom's boyfriend pleads not guilty

(CBS/AP) DELAWARE, Ohio - A 12-year-old boy charged with murdering his mother's boyfriend has entered the juvenile court equivalent of a not guilty plea.

The boy is charged with using a .22-caliber revolver to fatally shoot 38-year-old Jeffrey Reece on April 23. He told a police dispatcher he shot Reece because the man had threatened him and his mother.

According to media reports from Monday's arraignment, the judge explained court terms to the young defendant during the proceeding in central Ohio's Delaware County. At the request of the boy's court-appointed guardian, the judge ordered that a hearing be held to determine if the youth is competent to stand trial.

The boy has been held in juvenile detention since the shooting.

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