Washington - An 11-year-old boy could be tried as an adult in a US court and face a mandatory life sentence if found guilty of killing his father's pregnant fiancee.
A judge in Lawrence County, western Pennsylvania ruled on Tuesday that the child, Jordan Brown, would not be tried as a minor.
Lawyers for the boy said they would file a motion to have the case moved to juvenile court, after obtaining more forensic evidence.
The paper reported that Brown sat silently with his hands and feet shackled during his preliminary hearing before being returned to a juvenile detention center where his attorney said he was "thriving."
He is accused of last month shooting Kenzie Houk, 26, in the back of the head while she slept, killing her and her unborn child who died of oxygen deprivation. He faces two charges of criminal homicide.
Houk was nine months pregnant and had two daughters, age seven and four, who lived in the house with her, her fiance Chris Brown and his son, Jordan.
The boy allegedly covered a shotgun with a blanket and shot Houk in head while she was asleep, before running out of the house to catch the school bus. Relatives said the boy was jealous of Houk and her children.
He is scheduled for an arraignment on May 1. - AFP