Boy accused of shooting 14-year-old Deserae Turner was ‘kind and gentle,’ sister testifies

Logan • When the father of a 16-year-old Cache County boy heard the teen had been accused of shooting 14-year-old Deserae Turner in the back of the head, he was upset.

On Feb. 16, the day of Turner's shooting, the teen had told his father he knew Turner "a little," but denied any knowledge of her whereabouts.

The next day when the teen spoke to police, he told officers a different story.

The family of the teen testified Tuesday that the boy they knew was a "kind and gentle" peacemaker.

He was "the sweet one," his 20-year-old sister said, adding that she was shocked. "I love my brother."

But other witnesses — including a classmate and the detective who searched the teen's phone — alluded to a darker, more violent side of the teen.

Tuesday was the second of a two-day hearing in 1st District Juvenile Court to determine whether the boy — who is charged with first-degree felony counts of attempted aggravated murder and aggravated robbery, along with four counts of second-degree felony obstructing justice — should remain in juvenile court or be tried as an adult.

Smithfield Detective Brandon Muir told of finding hyperlinks and images on the defendant's phone that led to a website showcasing extreme gore and violence. Its main content was "all kinds" of executions, including ISIS beheadings, though it also contained violent pornography and "disturbing" images.

Muir also said that Google searches found on the defendant's cell phone included inquiries about killing, names of convicted serial killers and punishments for juveniles who broke the law.

The classmate testified that the teen would pull a knife out to warn people not to mess with him.

"You think he's joking," the classmate said of the teen, "but you would never be sure."

The teen had also allegedly told his classmate about a girl — not Turner — who he thought was annoying and how easily he could kill her.

Prosecutors called a psychologist, Stephen Golding, to testify and refute the findings of Matthew Davies, a psychologist who testified Monday that the boy posed a "low risk" to the community.

Davies said that he'd not considered evidence relating to Turner's shooting in his findings because he wanted to protect the boy's rights against self-incrimination, but Golding said the approach "made no sense to me," adding that the evaluation was unreliable because it excluded evidence.

Turner's mother, April Turner, testified to the court about her daughter's extensive injuries, which will affect her for the rest of her life.

After the shooting, the girl was "as close to dead as you can be." The bullet and several fragments are still lodged in the girl's brain, April Turner said, and have caused partial blindness and paralysis and weakening on the left side of her body.

Before the shooting, the girl's goals for the summer would have been to "ride horses, practice karate. Now it's just to move her fingers."

Family members of the defendant said the teenager had depression, which contributed to a habit of missing school.

Since he's been in state custody, the boy has been making progress in his studies, a teacher from the youth detention center testified. The center's director said the teen had been given the highest rating for behavior 73 of the 79 days the boy has been there.

Defense attorney David Perry told the court that the juvenile system was the safest place for the teen's rehabilitation and became emotional while describing his client's remorse.

But prosecutors emphasized that the jurisdiction of Youth Parole Authority ends at age 21. The appropriate treatment and supervision for the teen would be better served in adult court, said Cache County Attorney James Swink.

First District Juvenile Court Judge Angela Fonnesbeck said she'd announce her decision Wednesday at 10 a.m.

On Monday, Fonnesbeck decided the alleged shooter's accomplice, also a 16-year-old boy, will stand trial in adult court.

The accomplice, Jayzen Decker, is expected to make his initial appearance in 1st District Court on Thursday.

The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not identify juveniles charged with crimes until they are certified to stand trial in adult court, as Decker now has been.

The teens allegedly lured Turner to the canal with the intent to slit her throat, according to charges. They ultimately decided to fire a gun instead, charges state. After the shooting, the boys allegedly took cash and electronics from Turner's backpack.

Following his arrest, the alleged shooter claimed he had become annoyed with Turner for texting and contacting him through the messaging app Snapchat, police have said at earlier hearings.

Turner's parents reported her missing after she did not return home from school on Feb. 16. Two women searching for the girl found her, according to preliminary hearing testimony.

After being hospitalized for nine weeks, Turner was released April 20. Doctors aren't sure of the extent to which the girl will recover, the mother testified.

The two defendants lived in Smithfield and attended Sky View High School. Turner, who lives in Amalga, attended North Cache Middle School in Richmond.

mnoble@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mnoblenews