Michigan’s court of appeals affirmed the murder conviction of a boy who was 12 when he killed another child at a playground.
The boy was 12 when he killed a 9-year-old at a playground in Kentwood in 2014.
The defense argued that years of abuse at home had ruined the boy’s mental health and overwhelmed his decisions.
He is now 15 years old.
The issues raised on the appeal included whether a judge should have declared the boy guilty but mentally ill.
The appeals court says the jury "seriously contemplated" such a verdict but instead chose first-degree murder.
The boy could be released from a juvenile detention center when he turns 21.
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