Prosecutors: 14-Year-Old Murder Suspect Should Be Tried As Adult

A judge is expected to decide Wednesday whether murder suspect Joshua Mooney will be tried as a juvenile, a youthful offender or an adult.

Prosecutors argue Mooney should be tried as an adult.

Joshua Mooney was 14 in December, when deputies say he broke into a Jenks home and murdered Mary Escue, who was there visiting her parents.

Prosecutors say it's important to look at the crime and Mooney's history, when deciding whether Mooney will spend a couple of years behind bars or possibly the rest of his life. They say he put a gun to Escue's head and shot her, even though she begged for her life.

Prosecutors say, since December 2011, Mooney has had 17 contacts with law enforcement over things like cruelty to animals, assaulting someone in a treatment setting, several burglaries, shooting into an occupied dwelling, shooting children with a bb gun, stealing a car and a bicycle, hiding a gun and running away from home.

Read the state's brief in support of keeping Mooney charged as an adult

They say most of the incidents took place while he was already on probation, and since he's been in jail on the murder charge, they say he was caught with a shank, or homemade knife.

Prosecutors say they disregard the report from the Office of Juvenile Affairs that says Mooney only has a moderate risk of committing new crimes in the future and can change his behavior with counseling. They argue OJA said that before, but was wrong.

They say it is clear now, looking back, that Mooney was a ticking timebomb, beginning with getting suspended from school and escalating to stealing weapons and stabbing pigs.

They say the evidence shows his mother desperately tried to get her son treatment over and over, but to no avail. His parents reportedly even installed an alarm and 12 cameras in their home to monitor his behavior, but they were not able to stop him.

Mooney's attorneys, however, say if he were tried as a juvenile and in a secure facility, given one more chance and full-time treatment, he could become a productive member of society.

We'll let you know the judge's decision Wednesday.

6/12/2013 Related Story: Judge To Decide Whether 14-Year-Old Murder Suspect Will Be Tried As Adult