Sam Vonachen sat across the table from Senior Assistant District Attorney Steve Maxwell who will prosecute the case.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 15 year old accused of killing his mother and sister and attempting to kill his father made a first appearance in District Court where he will be tried as an adult.
Sam Vonachen, who was a 14 years old at the time of the alleged crimes, has been charged by the state with four counts of first-degree murder, however two of the four counts are alternate counts to the other two. Other charges include attempted first-degree murder and aggravated arson.
It was on Sept. 26, 2013, when he allegedly poured gas throughout the family house at 4 East 19, then lit it. The blaze killed his mother, Karla Jo, and his sister, Audrey. The teen’s father was able to escape the fire.
Assistant District Attorney Steve Maxwell actually read the complaint to the teen and Judge Trish Rose told him that five of the six charges are off-grid felonies with a sentence of life with no chance of parole for 25 years. He was assigned the Regional Public Defender’s Office to represent him in the case and Judge Rose left the bond at $1,000,000.
The case was moved to adult court after Judge Patty Macke-Dick issued a written opinion that he should be tried as an adult.
The murder case will now be placed on a waiver-status docket on Nov. 12 in front of Judge Joe McCarville.
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Original Story from Tuesday
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 15 year old accused of killing his mother and sister and attempting to kill his father will be tried as an adult.
Reno County District Judge Patti Macke-Dick issued her written opinion Tuesday morning in the case of Sam Vonachen, who was a 14-year-old at the time of the alleged crimes.
Vonachen faces two counts of first-degree murder, two alternate counts of felony murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated arson. He is accused of setting fire to the family home back on Sept. 26, 2013, by pouring gas throughout the house, then lighting it. The blaze killed his mother, Karla Jo Vonachen; and his sister Audrey. The teen’s father was able to escape the fire.
Earlier this year, the judge found he was competent to stand trial and writes in her decision that she believes the crimes were committed in a premeditated or willful manner as described by law enforcement during the closed hearing and that the alleged offenses were against both people and property. She goes on to says that the offenses were not just personal injury and damage to property, but loss of life. She says she doesn’t believe the alleged crimes were predictable or provoked.
She noted that the teen doesn’t have any previous criminal history, no previous indication of anti-social behavior, doesn’t seem mature beyond his years and appeared to have had a normal home life. His school life was trouble free and had above average grades.
The question for the judge was whether there are facilities or programs that could rehabilitate the teen prior to the expiration of the juvenile courts jurisdiction when he would reach 22.5 years of age. She says because of the mystery surrounding the motivation of the teen to take the actions he did, its unknown how to protect the safety of the community or his family. She says she made the decision with deep reluctance to have the teen prosecuted as an adult.
With the ruling, the juvenile case was dismissed. Formal adult criminal charges have been filed by the Reno County District Attorney’s Office, against Vonachen, alleging alternative methods of committing murder in the first degree involving the deaths of his mother, the attempted murder in the first degree of Steve Vonachen and aggravated arson.
A first appearance has been scheduled for 11:00 a.m., Wednesday in the Position I courtroom on the first floor of the Reno County Courthouse before District Court Judge Trish Rose. Bond has been set at $1,000,000.