Continuance granted for juvenile suspect in murder case

Saturday, September 3, 2011

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- A Bourbon County District Court judge on Friday granted a continuance in the case of a male juvenile charged with second-degree murder in May.

During a motion hearing Friday morning, Judge Rebecca Stephan granted a request from Gil Gregory, the defense attorney for the juvenile, for a continuance of a motion filed by Bourbon County Attorney Terri Johnson's office June 6 to prosecute the defendant as an adult.

Stephan also granted a request by Gregory to have the defendant undergo a psychological evaluation before proceeding with the case.

Gregory moved for a continuance of the hearing to give the defense a chance "to discuss their options" and said it is important for the defendant to have a mental evaluation to "make sure he knows how the proceedings work."

Stephan granted both requests and said the mental evaluation should be an "independent evaluation" conducted by someone other than the defendant's current psychiatrist. Stephan said the cost of the evaluation will be assessed at some point to the defendant's parents, who were present in the courtroom Friday.

Assistant County Attorney Valorie Leblanc said the state had no objection to either request.

Stephan said the defendant will continue to be detained in the Southeast Kansas Juvenile Detention Center in Girard and a status check will take place in about 45 days, although no date has been set.

The motion hearing was scheduled to take place Wednesday, however, the defendant's parents were not present so it was moved to Friday. The request to try the defendant as an adult was scheduled to be revisited Friday after a continuance was granted in July, when the accused juvenile appeared before Stephan to determine the result of Johnson's request.

The juvenile was charged with second-degree murder on May 23 by Johnson's office after he was arrested for his alleged involvement in the murder of 23-year-old James C. Enloe at Hidden Valley Lake, a private recreational development in Mapleton, on May 21.

Enloe had suffered multiple stab wounds and was transported to Mercy Health Center where he was pronounced dead.

The boy was taken into custody and transported to the SEKJDC in Girard.