If 15-year-old Brooks Colby Shumway were convicted in juvenile court of stabbing his friend 38 times during a sleepover, he could only be held until his 21st birthday.
After Judge Olof Johansson's ruling Wednesday, Shumway now faces up to life in prison.Johansson ordered Shumway be tried as an adult in 3rd District Court on charges of murder, a first-degree felony, and tampering with evidence, a second-degree felony.
"It's one of the most gruesome cases I've ever seen," said prosecutor Katherine Bernards-Goodman. "This victim had a slit throat."
Shumway's defense attorney, Randall Lund, could not be reached for comment.
Prosecutors said the teen has implied it was self-defense that led him to inflict 38 stab wounds on 14-year-old Christopher Ray in the early morning hours of Jan. 23. The two had been friends for roughly one year and had been up most of the night playing video games.
Prosecutors believe one of the games, "Resident Evil," may have contributed to the gruesome slaying. The game is described by the Entertainment Software Rating Board as "animated blood and gore, animated violence."
"It's a crime with a mystery," Bernards-Goodman said. "He would never admit what his motive or reason was."
Shumway had one wound to his hand, which could have been a defensive wound, or self-inflicted, Bernards-Goodman said.
"The defendant himself says they finally went to bed about 5 a.m.," Bernards-Goodman said. "He woke (Ray's) mother up at 7 in the morning and told her, 'Chris tried to stab me, so I stabbed him back.' "
Ray's mother went to the living room, found her son dead and called 911.
Prosecutors also say Shumway used a second knife when he stabbed Ray. That knife, however, was never found, resulting in the tampering with evidence charge against Shumway.