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A 17-year-old West Valley City boy accused of sexually assaulting and killing his 12-year-old neighbor will remain in a juvenile detention center as state officials work to restore his competency.

The boy, charged in juvenile court with aggravated murder and rape of a child in the July 2015 death of Kailey Vijil, was in court Tuesday — the first time since 3rd District Judge James Michie found in December that he was not competent to stand trial on the charges.

The judge at that time found that the teen suffers from "more than one" mental disorder or intellectual disability that affects his ability to understand and participate in the court process.

On Tuesday, Michie reviewed an "attainment plan" geared towards restoring the boy's competency. Details of that plan were not discussed in open court.

"We have some work to do," the judge told the teen. "And I want you to work as hard as you can."

The boy's case will be reviewed in court again on April 18, the judge ordered, and the teen will continue to remain in a juvenile detention facility until then.

Vijil's family was not in the courtroom on Tuesday. Their attorney, Spencer Banks, said after the hearing that they are hoping the case moves forward quickly.

"We are a year-and-a-half after Kailey [has] passed away," Banks said. "And we still really haven't even started the case. We can't start until he's found competent. That's our hope: that the attainment plan works, that he's found competent and the case can proceed."

Prosecutors have said they want the boy to face the charges in adult court. Michie can't rule on that, however, until the boy is competent and another hearing is held where the judge will assess the case evidence and consider the severity of the alleged crimes, community safety, the teen's psychological records, family history and rehabilitation needs.

Vijil was found dead about 1:30 a.m. on July 17, 2015, in a horse pasture near 3600 South and 5200 West, about a half-mile from her family's home.

Police say the boy lured Vijil from her home just before midnight on July 16, claiming he needed help looking for a lost cat.

Officers found Vijil "lying in the field with a shirt wrapped around her neck," charges state. A medical examiner later determined the girl died from strangulation.

Court documents say a medical examiner also found the girl had been sexually assaulted and that DNA found on her body matched DNA samples from the defendant, who was 16 years old at that time.

The boy has been held in a juvenile detention facility since then. The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not identify juvenile defendants unless they have been certified to stand trial in adult court.