A Tennessee middle school cheerleader was stabbed to death by a 15-year-old boy, but prosecutors now aim to try him as an adult.
Savannah Copeland, 13, a cheerleader at Powell United Methodist Church, was found dead by her father on October 22nd on a hiking trail near her parents' home in Knox County, Tennessee. According to a statement from the Knox County Sheriff's Office:.
County Sheriff's Office. gofundme
According to Knox County authorities, the murder suspect took Savannah to a popular boardwalk in Powell, Tennessee, just after midnight.
During the attack, the boy allegedly stabbed Savannah multiple times with a pocket knife, according to the sheriff's office.
It is not clear how the two teenagers knew each other.
The juvenile suspect was arrested later that day and charged with second-degree murder, the sheriff's office said.
Prosecutors announced at a hearing this week that they plan to try him as an adult. According to 6 News.
The victim's father, Michael Copeland, used her cell phone to track her on the night of the murder and found her lifeless body in the woods. Per 8WVLT.
“I think it was a lack of compassion and a lack of empathy that took my daughter's life,” Copeland told 8 WVLT.
According to the newspaper, Copeland said the outpouring of support his family received from the community helped them “restore their faith in God.”
Savannah was an active child involved in cheerleading, karate, gymnastics, and art. According to the obituary.
The girl, whose “beautiful smile lit up a room,” wanted to attend the University of Tennessee to study forensic anthropology, according to her obituary.
Savannah is survived by one brother, another twin brother, and two loving parents.
Her murder suspect is scheduled to appear in court again on January 14th.
