12 Year Old Utah Girl Raped and Murdered by 15 Year Old Boy

Prosecutors say a 15-year-old boy not only murdered his 12-year-old neighbor, but he raped her as well. 

Prosecutors say the teen lured Vijil from her home late at night,
asking for help finding his lost cat

The teen, who has not yet been publicly identified, appeared in court on Thursday as the new charges were filed against him. 

Prosecutors say the boy lured 12-year-old Kailey Vijil out of her home on July 17, asking her to help him find his missing cat. 

But instead, they say he took her out to a field where he sexually assaulted her and then strangled her to death. 

The girl's body was found naked in a field not far from her home in West Valley, Utah. 

Her Batman pajamas were strewn on the ground nearby and a shirt was tied around her throat.

The suspect will be back in court on October 15, when the judge will decide whether to try the case in juvenile court, or send the teen to district court to be tried as an adult.

In explaining the difference between the two processes, the judge held out his
hands on Thursday to show how much longer of a sentence the teen can
face if convicted as an adult

'I have many things to evaluate before I make the decision,' Michie said, before asking the boy if he understood.

The teen, wearing a baggy green sweater and restrained in handcuffs, let out a quiet 'Yes'.

If the case ends up in adult court and he is found guilty, the teen could face up to a life in prison. He is not eligible for the death penalty because he is a minor.

The teen's next court hearing will be in October when it will be decided whether he will be tried as a minor or as an adult.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that the death penalty is unconstitutional for anyone who committed a crime while younger than 18.

Prosecutors allege in court documents that the teenager enticed Kailey from her house by knocking on her door and asking for help looking for a lost cat.

The 15-year-old boy tried to entice another girl with a similar ruse at her home in suburban Salt Lake City about 20 minutes before he knocked on Kailey's door, according to the charging documents.

After he was arrested, the teen acknowledged being with her in a field after she left home about midnight, authorities said.

Abandoned in a field:
Vijil's body was discovered in July,
naked in a field near her home.
The cause of death was strangulation 

The boy has a misdemeanor juvenile record of possession of drug paraphernalia, theft and burglary, with the oldest documented charge dating to last fall, according to court papers released Tuesday.

He had been put on probation less than two weeks before Vijil's death, the documents show.

When the teen knocked on Vijil's door in West Valley City around midnight July 17, the girl's 14-year-old sister initially answered but she wouldn't go with him, the charges state.

He then went and asked Vijil instead and she agreed, authorities said. Police have said they didn't appear to have had any relationship before that night.

The older sister told their mother, who started looking for the girl when she didn't return.

She reported her daughter missing to police at a convenience store about 1.30am; Vijil's body was found less than two hours later.

A juvenile court judge said during an earlier hearing authorities were also investigating possible sexual assault in the case, the Deseret News of Salt Lake City reported.

No such charges have been filed, and Gill declined to say whether they could be filed in the future.

West Valley is a suburb of Salt Lake City

Before the next court hearing, the boy's defense attorneys said he will be undergoing a competency evaluation that will examine his mental and emotional state as well as his upbringing.

They already know of a history of ADHD in the family 'but it could be more than that', according to defense attorney Michael Sikora.

It better be more than that - there are an awful lot of ADHD people out there.