A judge is weighing whether the case stays in juvenile court or moves to adult court, a decision that could be pivotal when it comes to prison time for the now-
A judge is weighing whether the case stays in juvenile court or moves to adult court, a decision that could be pivotal when it comes to prison time for the now-17-year-old defendant.
A child psychiatrist has been called by the defense as a witness and testified that the teenager accused of killing his parents and three siblings in their Fall City home in October 2024 was in a psychotic state leading up to the killings.
Dr. Bradley Peterson, who interviewed the teen after the murders, told the court the teen's mental health had deteriorated rapidly in the lead-up to the attack.
"His depression began first, then he became psychotic, and then very shortly after he became manic," Peterson said in court Tuesday.
What's at stake
The hearing will determine whether the case remains in juvenile court or is transferred to adult court. If the case stays in juvenile court, the teen could be released by age 25. If it moves to adult court, he could face life in prison.
Prosecutors allege the teen meticulously planned the attack, took steps to frame his younger brother, and attempted to stage the scene as a murder-suicide.
Defense attorneys counter that the teen was severely abused by his parents, who held extreme religious beliefs.
Peterson described a teen who was being consumed by intrusive thoughts.
"Horrible, horrible thoughts had essentially consumed his whole mind and taken over, and he felt like he was at that point not just having the thoughts inserted by demons, but that he was a demon," Peterson testified.
The night before the killings
Peterson said the teen had gone largely without sleep the night before the murders while under extreme psychological pressure, and may have also been delirious from a months-long bout of pneumonia or in a dissociative state.
"He was just massively psychotic at that time of night. I don't think he was really responsible for anything he did at 11 or 12 at night," Peterson said. "He was so sick, and really not in control of himself even at that point."
Peterson also testified that when other family members suggested the teen might need to see a doctor for his pneumonia, the teen's mother stated, "He's just lazy."
Peterson also shared that with consistent, potentially lifelong treatment, including antipsychotic mood stabilizers and ongoing psychotherapy, the teen could potentially be rehabilitated.
What's next
Several family members have already testified in the case. Additional expert witnesses and investigators are expected to take the stand in the coming weeks.
The hearing is expected to continue at least through the end of the week. The judge indicated in court she could have a decision issued sometime mid-October.
