LOGAN — After hours waiting in a police station lobby, a father was told his teenage son had confessed to shooting a 14-year-old girl in the head as officers invited him to talk to the boy before he was arrested.
Recounting the experience Tuesday, the father testified in court that at first, he told the officer he didn't want to talk to his son.
"It was a kick in the gut, it was hell," the man testified, describing that moment. "I couldn't believe anyone would do that."
The teen's father and mother did go talk to their 16-year-old son that day, the man said, finding him weeping and remorseful. When they tried asking why he had shot Deserae Turner, he offered no explanation, but insisted he was deeply sorry, the father testified.
Deserae survived the shooting, though with permanent and devastating damage to her health, mobility and quality of life that her mother described in court Tuesday.
The boy's parents and an older sister took turns testifying Tuesday during the conclusion of a two-day retention hearing, where the teen's attorney fought to keep the case in juvenile court and prosecutors argued to move it to the adult system.
First District Judge Angela Fonnesbeck said she will announce Wednesday whether the case will be transferred.
The teen's friend and alleged accomplice in the case, 16-year-old Jayzon Decker, was ordered Monday to face his criminal charges as an adult.
The Deseret News has chosen not to identify the teen accused of pulling the trigger at this time.
On the witness stand, the teen's family described him as sweet, loving and easygoing, with no prior behavioral problems. He talked to them about feelings of depression and for years struggled to motivate himself in school, they said, but the attempted murder allegations the teen now faces are shocking and out of character for the gentle boy with no history of violence.
"He was always the sweet one, he was kind and gentle. He always shared," said the teen's 20-year-old sister, adding simply, "I love my brother."
Findings on the teen's cellphone presented by investigators, however, painted a different picture.
The background of the phone, according to Smithfield police detective Brandon Muir, featured the dying quote of executed killer Robert Alton Harris, while the phone's search history included information about three-time murderer Robert Gleason, websites promising the "best gore," and videos of ISIS beheadings.
The teen's attorney, David Perry, raised questions throughout the hearing about risks of sexual and physical abuse the teen could face if he were convicted and incarcerated, compared to the security and age-appropriate treatment he could expect in the juvenile system.
Perry became emotional as he described his client's remorse, questioning whether the best response is to move him from the juvenile facility, where he has done well, to instead lock him up in prison.
"This is not a callous person," Perry said, his voice cracking. "We all are sorry about the pain that has been caused to this young lady, it's a tough situation."
Cache County Attorney James Swink countered that the teen could only remain in juvenile custody until age 21, while the adult system could keep him in custody longer if needed and provide ongoing supervision and treatment for years after his release.
Swink asked the judge to consider the violent, premeditated nature of the shooting, and the teen's apparent culpability compared to Decker, who has already been transferred.
"Who found the gun? Who got the bullets? This defendant, your honor," Swink said.
Swink called the teen "a huge risk" to public safety, pointing to testimony from a male classmate who told the court that, as they talked at school, the teen discussed violence on multiple occasions.
Last year the teen spoke of a different girl he said was annoying him, the classmate said, suggesting it would be easy to "get rid of her" and discussing hurting her. On another occasion the classmate said the teen described his ideas about how a school shooting could be successfully carried out. And on another occasion, the teen allegedly claimed to have trapped an animal and then hurt it while it was still alive.
The classmate also testified the boy always carried a knife, which he was known to pull out if he found himself in a confrontation.
"He was always someone who you didn't want to get in his way," the classmate said.
When the teen brandished his knife, the classmate said, "You would think he was joking but you were never sure."
A female classmate later called by the defense testified that the male classmate is known to exaggerate.
According to police, the two friends lured Deserae to join them after school on Feb. 16 under the guise of buying a knife, shot her once in the back of the head at close range, stole her belongings and left her in a dry section of a dirty canal in Smithfield.
The teenager told police he became annoyed by Deserae's frequent Snapchat messages, leading his friend Decker to suggest they get rid of her, according to testimony in preliminary hearings in March.
The teens are charged with attempted aggravated murder and aggravated robbery, first-degree felonies, and four counts of obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
April Turner, Deserae's mother, described challenges her daughter now faces in daily life. While Deserae recently turned 15, her mother says she requires the constant care and supervision of a toddler.
"She doesn't understand her own limitations, she's not safe, even to herself," Turner said.
According to her mother, damage from the gunshot has immobilized the left side of Deserae's body, leaving her unable to stand, walk or even swallow food on her own. Her eyesight is limited, meaning she'll never be able to drive, and her former hobbies playing the flute, riding horses and martial arts now seem impossible.
"She's a long ways from being a normal, average 15-year-old now," Turner said.
The accused gunman, who remained quiet and still throughout the hearing, appeared emotional during Turner's testimony. The tall, brown-haired boy sat with his eyes lowered his shoulders slumped, occasionally sniffling and reaching for tissues.