New Carlisle teens competent to face murder charges, court rules

Two teenage girls accused in the killing of a New Carlisle woman are competent to stand trial.

Natasha Ellis, 15, and a 13-year-old also accused in the case, were deemed competent to stand trial by Clark County Juvenile Court Judge Katrine Lancaster Tuesday morning.

The girls are charged in the stabbing death of 36-year-old Lee Moore on May 23. Moore was the mother of the 13-year-old.

They are also accused of attacking the 13-year-old’s father and 17-year-old brother. They are both facing charges of murder and two counts each of felonious assault.

The Clark County Prosecutor’s Office has requested the juvenile court to move the case against Ellis to adult court, but have said the 13-year-old is legally too young to be transferred.

She is charged as a serious youthful offender.

Lancaster said in court on Tuesday that she made her ruling after reading a competency evaluation conducted by a local psychologist.

The next step in the cases is a probable cause hearing, which Lancaster said would likely be scheduled within the next few weeks.

The two teenage girls were arrested after an investigation by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were called to a home on North Church Street in response to a reported stabbing.

They found three victims with stab wounds — the 13-year-old’s father, identified as 56-year-old Paul Greear, Greear’s 17-year-old son and the 13-year-old’s mother who was unresponsive, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies say interviews with the suspects determined the 13-year-old suspect initiated conversations with Ellis and both conspired to have the older girl enter the house during the night with the younger girl’s help and assault and kill the man, woman and the 17-year-old.

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