Teen Charged In Tessa Majors Death To Be Held Until Trial: Report

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, NY — A 13-year-old boy charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of Barnard College student Tessa Majors will be held in detention until the beginning of his trial, according to reports.

A request made by Legal Aid lawyers to have the boy released from a juvenile detention center was denied Thursday, the New York Times reported. Manhattan Family Court Judge Carol Goldstein cited the severity of the boy's charges as a factor in the ruling.

The teen's defense lawyer Hannah Kaplan argued that he is not a flight risk and that his steady school attendance and living situation with his uncle will keep him out of trouble. City lawyers painted the 13-year-old in a different light during Thursday's hearing, saying that the boy got into a confrontation with staff at the juvenile detention center, according to the Times report.

A spokesman for the Legal Aid Society declined to comment on the ruling.

The 13-year-old, who is not being charged as an adult, is facing charges of felony murder, weapons possession and robbery, but is not suspected to have stabbed Majors himself. Majors was stabbed to death on Dec. 11 while walking through Morningside Park. Police officials said the killing likely occurred during a botched robbery.

Lawyers from the Legal Aid Society previously stated that the boy was questioned by the NYPD without a lawyer. NYPD Spokeswoman Sergeant Mary Frances O'Donnell told Patch that the NYPD did not violate the 13-year-old's rights. The suspect was questioned with a legal guardian, his uncle, present and both agreed to waive the boy's Miranda Rights, the NYPD spokeswoman said.

The teen was arrested the day after Majors was stabbed to death, police said. During the interrogation, bot told how he'd been there as Majors was killed, police said. Officials say that while he admitted having handled the knife, he said that he did not participate in the stabbing.

Information given during the interrogation resulted in the arrest of a 14-year-old boy, who was later released. A third suspect, another 14-year-old boy was also arrested and released, police officials said. During a press conference in late December NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison declined to say whether the two 14-year-old boys will face charges.

Read more about the murder in Patch's prior coverage.