A Butler County judge has denied a motion by prosecutors to try two teenage girls as adults in the murder of a 93-year-old woman in Augusta.
During a hearing Thursday, the judge cited a provision in the Kansas Juvenile Justice Code that bars juveniles under 14 years of age from being tried as adults. The two girls were 13 at the time of the murder in early September, 2023.
The body of Joanne Johnson was found in her Augusta home on September 3rd, 2023, and police believe she was killed a day or two earlier. The two teen suspects were arrested a year later.
Prosecutors have reserved the right to appeal the judge’s decision. A motions hearing has been scheduled for April 18th and jury trials have been scheduled for May 5th and June 16th.
