Knoxville Girl, 13, Stabbed To Death By 15YO Boy, Judge Declines To Withhold Name

[Sugar Cookie]

Knox County Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin declined Thursday to withhold release of the name of a 15-year-old boy accused of killing a 13-year-old acquaintance.

Irwin said Tennessee law didn't give him the authority under the circumstances to keep Malakiah L. Harris's name out of the public eye.

Harris is facing a second-degree murder charge in a juvenile petition filed by Knox County prosecutors. He's accused of stabbing the girl to death after arranging to meet her.

Defense attorney Christina Kleiser sought to keep the young man's name from the public, arguing he's entitled to be spared damage from mass media exposure. Releasing his name adds trauma onto trauma, Kleiser argued.

Judge declines to withhold name of 15-year-old boy accused in girl's homicide

Malakiah Lamar Harris is charged in a juvenile petition with second-degree murder in Knox County. The victim's name hasn't been released.

www.wbir.com

A Tennessee family have identified their daughter as the 13 year old teen girl ‘senselessly’ stabbed to death by a 15 year old boy last week.

Savannah Grace Copeland was found slain on a dirt trail behind a community pool in Powell, just outside Knoxville, last Tuesday.

Despite the Savannah’s family coming forward and identifying her as the victim, police to date have yet to publicly identify the slain 13 year old.

Copeland was stabbed to death multiple times with a pocket knife by 15-year-old teen, Malakiah Lamar Harris, whom she had organized to meet with the night before she was found, according to WVLT.

Upon stabbing the girl ‘multiple times,’ Harris is alleged to have fled the scene, leaving the girl to die.

Harris upon his arrest, was charged with second degree murder in connection to Copeland’s death.

Savannah Grace Copeland stabbed to death by Malakiah Lamar Harris

Savannah Grace Copeland, Knoxville, TN teen girl stabbed to death by Malakiah Lamar Harris in 'senseless' murder after arranging to meet.

scallywagandvagabond.com

 

[Josh P]

That's a good judge, he'll probably impose the maximum sentence too, which may not be enough.

 

[cubby]

Releasing his name adds trauma onto trauma,

Trauma, what Trauma???? He's the one who inflicted trauma until she died, good on the judge for outing the monster.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

The prosecutors want to try him as an adult.

Hopefully they do during his initial hearing he showed no emotion.