A 15-year-old from Ozark pled guilty Wednesday to murdering his 16-year-old sister. Colton Harvey’s attorney told 5NEWS he maybe “suffered from early signs of schizophrenia.”
“There was never a clear, precise, concise motive that we found,” said Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons.
Colton Harvey admits he murdered his sister, Candace. Court documents state Harvey told police he shot her three times in the head. “There was really nothing that would have alerted the parents, the school, or anyone that something like this was going to happen,” said Gibbons.
Harvey turned himself in to the Franklin county Sheriff’s Department on Jan. 15. “He indicated that he had some impulses that he had trouble controlling and really did not explain exactly why he did it, never able to really pinpoint the reason,” said Bill James, Harvey’s attorney.
Via telephone Thursday afternoon, Harvey’s attorney told 5NEWS his client showed signs of remorse. “Every time that I have met with Colton over the last four months he’s cried almost every time,” said James.
The state did a mental evaluation and found Harvey fit to stand trial. James also had a private evaluation done. “Colton maybe suffered from early signs of schizophrenia, although at his age you can’t really diagnose his age,” said James.
The prosecuting attorney’s office says Harvey’s parents were inside the courtroom Wednesday when their son entered the guilty plea. “His mother sees Colton every week,” said James.
Gibbons says Harvey had not seen his sister for about two days prior to the shooting because of their schedules. “There was no evidence that there’d been any argument with his sister,” said Gibbons.
Court documents say Harvey told investigators he often thought about killing his parents. “Me and my dad argue all the time,” said Harvey.
The teen also told investigators he contemplated suicide, according to court documents. “I thought about killing myself too,” said Harvey, “I don’t, I don’t know why though.”
A judge sentence Harvey to 30 years in prison for the death of his sister Candace, according to Gibbons. A 15-year firearm enhancement was added and will run consecutively with his second-degree murder sentence. The prosecuting attorney’s office says Harvey could be eligible for parole in 12 years.