CANTON, Ohio — Authorities say a teen fatally shot a 14-year-old girl because he believed a false rumor the girl was pregnant and thought he was the father.
The Repository in Canton reports the 14-year-old boy pleaded guilty to murder Wednesday in Stark County Juvenile Court. His trial on the juvenile equivalent of aggravated murder was scheduled to begin Thursday.
Assistant Stark County Prosecutor Michelle Cordova said the boy told police he believed Sylvia McGee, who wasn’t his girlfriend, was pregnant. Cordova says an autopsy after the March 30 slaying showed she wasn’t pregnant.
Cordova says there’s no evidence other than the pregnancy rumor to indicate why Sylvia was killed.
The boy couldn’t be tried in adult court because he was 13 at the time of the slaying.
Sentencing is scheduled Jan. 7.
