A hearing was held Wednesday to determine if a teen accused of murdering a Milan woman should be tried as an adult.
The 16-year-old teen was allegedly involved in the shooting of 68-year-old Nancy Hershman, of Milan, during a break-in at Hershman’s home on December 30.
Three individuals testified and offered evidence of whether the teen should remain in the juvenile court system or be waived to adult court.
A clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist presented testimony on their assessment of the mental condition of the teenager. According to the Versailles Republican, both professionals recommended the defendant remain in the juvenile system as it offers a better chance for rehabilitation.
An officer from a juvenile detention center in Muncie was called to the stand. The officer recounted numerous violations the teen has been cited for while housed there. The Versailles Republican says the teen was eventually sent to the Department of Corrections due to poor behavior.
Prosecutors argue that if the teen was age 16 at the time of the alleged crime, he would automatically be tried as an adult. The teen turned 16 on December 31, one day after Hershman was killed.
The defendant and the state now have ten days to submit their Findings of Fact and Conclusion to Ripley County Judge Carl Taul. The judge will then decide whether the 16-year-old should be waived to adult court, and if so, the identity of the teen boy will be released.
The teen, along with Sean Nichols, 15, and Allison Moore, 22, drove from Ohio to Ripley County on December 29. They first broke into the home of a Cross Plains man and allegedly robbed him.
In the early morning hours of December 30, police say they traveled to Milan and broke into Hershman’s home. Nancy Hershman was fatally shot during the alleged break-in.
In March, the case against Sean Nichols was waived into adult court by Ripley County Judge Carl Taul.
