Prosecutors: Teen accused of killing brother should be tried as adult

Harley was found dead in his bed at his Superior Avenue home on the morning of Oct. 31. He had been beaten with a baseball bat and stabbed several times in the neck, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.

Springfield Police Detective, Ron Jordan, testified in court about the police division’s investigation that led to charging Starling with the crime.

Police originally believed the death was a suicide, he said, but learned through the autopsy that Harley’s injuries were consistent with a homicide.

Nicholas was brought in for questioning, Jordan said, where he admitted the brothers had been in a recent argument.

“He told me that he and his brother had had an argument on Saturday over some candy,” Jordan said in court. “Nicholas said that he finally settled and let his brother have the last piece of candy but it kind of upset him.”

Jordan said Nicholas told him he later went into his brother’s room while he was sleeping, and struck him in the head with a baseball bat 14 to 15 times. He said Nicholas told him his brother then began making a weird noise.

“He went into the kitchen grabbed a knife from the butcher block,” he said, “and came back into the bedroom and began to stab in the neck to try to get him to stop making the noise.”

The interview with Nicholas was taped, Jordan said, although the video was not shown in court on Monday.

Surveillance video from inside the living room of the house matched up with what Nicholas’ statement, he said, showing him walk towards Harley’s bedroom door, although he said the door couldn’t be seen in the footage.

The severity of Harley’s injuries shows the intent was to kill, Clark County Prosecutor Andy Wilson said in court. The intent along with the evidence is why the case should be moved to adult court, he said. Nicholas also meets the requirement of being 16 when the crime occurred.

Nicholas’ attorney argued the case should be dismissed because of the teen’s age.

Juvenile Court Judge Joseph Monnin said he will review the evidence and issue a written decision at a later date.