A 14-year-old Wyoming boy was killed while trying to protect his girlfriend from two young men wearing ski masks, but was pinned down by one of them and stabbed to death by the other, prosecutors said.
Dominic Antonio Richard Harris, 15, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to murder for allegedly killing Bobby Marr at East Ridge Mall in Casper in April and faces up to life in prison. Cowboy State Daily reports.
Harris, who is being tried as an adult, admitted to police that he held down Harris to help his alleged co-conspirator, 15-year-old Jareth Plunkett, stab him, according to court records.
Harris claimed he was only holding Maher down “to make sure the fight was over,” but video of the April 7 attack shows Harris slamming Maher to the ground and holding him there while Plunkett stabbed the 14-year-old twice.
Authorities said Maher rushed to the mall to help his girlfriend after receiving a call that Harris and Plunkett were stalking her and her friends.
According to court records, Harris and Plunkett, who are also accused of stealing a knife from Target before the fight, allegedly confronted Maher after becoming upset about an incident at an Evansville park during spring break.
Ms Harris alleged that Maher had seen the 15-year-old boys coming out of a portable toilet together and asked them if they were “freaks”.
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Surveillance footage from the mall showed Maher trying to lead his girlfriend and her friend out of the shopping centre before Plunkett confronted him.
Harris is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, aggravated assault and misdemeanor theft.
Despite his plea of innocence, defense attorney Brandon Booth said the defense reserves the right to change the guilty plea on the grounds of mental illness or mental disability.
During the court hearing, Harris told District Judge Kelly Johnson he had never been diagnosed with a learning disability.
Last week, Plunkett pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, and a judge ordered the defendant to undergo a mental evaluation, according to Cowboy State Daily.
