Juvenile Crime Investigation Case

On October 3rd, 2015, a group of children were playing with their new puppies outside in White Pine, Tennessee, while their parents were watching a football game. A disagreement took place when one girl, MaKayla Dyer, refused to allow a fellow playmate to play with her puppy. Dyer was 8 years old and her shooter is 11 (Botelho and Blackwell). The boy got the weapon, a 12-gague shotgun, from an unlocked closet (Karimi and Blackwell). Dyer’s shooter has been charged with first-degree murder. He weighs approximately 55 pounds, and is reported to be both the youngest and the smallest detainee at the Jefferson County juvenile detention center (Botelho et.al.). The criminal justice system has to be thorough as they handle this case. Accusations of previous disagreements between the children must be investigated (Karimi et.al.). The police should conduct interviews with other children who were participating in the playgroup at the time of the shooting, as well as their parents. All angles of the cause and prevention of the crime should be studied,
It will be crucial that the police protect the child from further harm while in custody (Hess). Investigators who interview the other children who witnessed the event and previous exchanges between the two should have special training and qualification to do so (Hess). The juvenile should be kept separate from adult offenders as he moves through the court system, even after he is found delinquent (Hess). The violent nature of the crime might lead to a stigma from correctional officers and other police who are responsible for the child while he is in custody. Because of this, there is a greater likelihood that the child will be treated as an adult. Other previous incidences might be used to establish a pattern of behavior, further increasing the likelihood that the child will be treated similarly to an adult