POWELL, Tenn. (WVLT/Gray News) – A 15-year-old boy is charged with second-degree murder in the death of a 13-year-old girl whose body was found on a trail in Tennessee.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office said the victim’s body was found on a trail Tuesday afternoon in the Broadacres subdivision of Powell, just outside of Knoxville.
The victim’s identity has not been publicly released.
According to court records, the teen girl was stabbed multiple times with a pocketknife.
Records show that investigators believe the suspect and the victim met up sometime shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
“During the interaction, the defendant used a pocketknife he carried with him to stab the victim multiple times, killing her,” court documents read. “He left her at the location without notifying anyone, and she was subsequently discovered deceased later in the day by citizens.”
The 15-year-old boy was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Authorities haven’t said how the two knew each other, nor how they identified the boy as the suspect.
“As law enforcement professionals, nothing can prepare us for days like yesterday,” Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler said.
The teenager had his first court appearance Wednesday, where he was appointed an attorney. He appeared in court a second time Thursday.
The suspect is being held without bond until trial. There is no set date for a trial yet, but he is expected in court again next week.
Copyright 2024 WVLT via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.