Prosecutor waits on evaluation of Penn student accused in plot

by Leanne Tokars (ltokars@wsbt.com)

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A 16-year-old Penn High School student accused of planning a Columbine-style attack

A 16-year-old Penn High School student accused of planning a Columbine-style attack appeared in court on Friday, May 9, 2008. (WSBT photo)

By Tiffany Griffin

Story Created: May 9, 2008 at 11:35 AM EDT

Story Updated: May 9, 2008 at 3:19 PM EDT

SOUTH BEND — The local teen accused of plotting to kill his classmates in a Columbine-like attack was in court Friday.

The Penn High School student has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, and Friday the judge warned him that he could still be tried as an adult.

But the prosecutor’s office has not decided yet if they will move forward with that request. Right now they're waiting on an evaluation of the 16-year-old.

The Penn student is accused of getting help from 33-year-old Lee Billi from Ohio. Prosecutors say the two had set a date for the attack. They say the teen researched how to buy a gun, make propane bombs and had also researched "The Anarchist Cookbook."

The prosecutor's office says the evaluation will be an important factor in their next move.

“It gives us more insight into his mental make-up,” explained Deputy Prosecutor Eric Tamashasky. “It gives us more insight into who he is. It allows experts to look at him and evaluate really the holistic view of him as a person and see what kind of possibilities we have for treatment, for rehabilitation.”

The boy's lawyer wouldn't comment. His family also wouldn't say anything.

He'll be back in court next month. But if he is waived to adult court, the charge of conspiracy to commit murder becomes a Class A felony, punishable by up to 50 years in prison.

He will be held at the Juvenile Justice Center until his next court date.

Friday, May 9 at 9:55 PM Is it truth, assumption, fiction or fact? wrote ...

Can anybody help me out? How is surfing the net for a variety of reasons but then settling on one particularly disturbing event where people assume there was true intent to carry out the act different from a teacher taking a knife from a student at school? Which one poses the greater risk? I'll bet they wouldn't be prosecuting that party as aggresively as they are this one and my hunch is because one would equate a knife with an assult on a person while this kid was building a plan for PEOPLE!

Friday, May 9 at 9:46 PM Searching for justice wrote ...

Okay, fine. If you really want to put this kid away, just write off another human being to bad choices go ahead. But if you're fair about it we're going to need bigger prisons because in case you haven't noticed a great deal of video games deal with pain, torture and destruction. I don't like what this child was doing but who's to say he would have carried it out. If the authorities are so hell bent on presuming this kid was destined to create a horific atack, why didn't they set up a sting?

Friday, May 9 at 6:04 PM ????????? wrote ...

Just curious. Raise your hands. How many of you proofread what you wrote? Please get to the point, STOP rambling incoherently! This boy didn't just paint a bad word on the restroom wall, he threatened/planned to kill his classmates! There should be no debate as to whether to try him as an adult. Big boy crime, big boy punishment should be automatic.

Friday, May 9 at 5:04 PM what? wrote ...

well, we have to undertand his reasons, there are students who don't do anything and because there are some students bothering them, and they haven't done anything to men. i mean maybe he was one of those quiet people and some people bothered him and never stopped. i would understand that if he did that to only those people, by i don't get why the entire school.

Friday, May 9 at 4:30 PM Say What??? wrote ...

What is there to evaluate? He is a little monster that planned on killing many innocent people-end of story. He needs to be kept out of society-period!

Friday, May 9 at 2:12 PM Mark wrote ...

I agree with Glad. We should put him away and ignore the real issues. It's easier. Why, just the other day I was watching the tube and my kid came up whining about something or other, so I gave her 50 bucks and told her to go to the mall or something so daddy could watch tv. I guess that's kind of my point, I think we can all agree we just want this to go away. Thanks, and Go Obama!

Friday, May 9 at 1:03 PM Glad I'm not a judge wrote ...

This kid did something that was very imature at a time when everybody is looking for anybody to be made an example of. The adult certainly knows better, blast the hell out of him, but the kid needs as much or more help than he does punishment. My kids go to Penn but I think the real problem lies between irresponsible parents or guadiens like this kid has and a queazy society. Some would say to error on the side of caution and put him away. That's solving THIS problem, not addressing the issue.

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