LOGAN, Utah, March 23, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — Two 16-year-old boys have been bound over for trial in the attempted murder of Deserae Turner — the 14-year-old Cache County girl found shot and left for dead in an empty canal bed in Smithfield.
The teens, accused of robbing and shooting Deserae on Feb. 16, face charges of attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony; aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; and four counts of obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
Those who testified Tuesday at the hearing for the alleged shooter included Cache County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Groves, who said one of the teens admitted to plotting the murder after his friend suggested it would be a good way to “get rid of” Deserae, who had annoyed the alleged shooter with unwanted Snapchat messages.
The deputy also said the suspect in court Tuesday had planned to slit Deserae’s throat, but lost his nerve, so he used the revolver he and his friend had brought as a backup plan.
After failing to return from school on Feb. 16, Deserae was reported missing, and family friends found her in the early hours of the 17th.
Deserae survived the shooting, but remains hospitalized with the bullet shot into the back of her head still pressing against the front of her skull, Groves said.
Upcoming court decisions will determine if one or both of the boys will be tried as adults.
Sue Hintze and Christy Layne are the family friends who found Deserae. Layne said the teen complained about being cold and said that her head hurt. Hintze and Layne said they covered Deserae with their coats and called 911.
